Russia environment officials fear water pollution following China accident

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AFX) - Russian officials said they have started monitoring water content in the Amur river on the border between the Russian far east and China, fearing contamination after toxic substances were discovered in a Chinese tributary of the Amur. The step was taken following the announcement Monday that the water supply had been discontinued in the nine mln strong Chinese city of Harbin near the border after toxic substances, probably benzol, were found in the Songhua Jiang river, officials said, according to Agence France-Presse. This followed a blast at the Jilin Petroleum and Chemical Company petrochemical plant, located in the Harbin region. The Songhua Jiang river (called Sungari in Russia) is the main source of drinking water for the Russian city of Khabarovsk, home to 600,000 residents, just across the Chinese border.