Rescuers try to retrieve a container which fell from a cargo ship into the Yangtze River and is now stuck in the Gezhouba Dam in Yichang, Hubei Province August 11.

The cargo ship, from which 12 chemical containers fell into the Yangtze River, is seen in this photo taken in Yichang, Hubei Province August 11.

(chinadaily.com.cn)2009-08-12 13:24 Sixty-two containers, including 12 holding chemicals, fell into the lower parts of the Three Gorges Dam near Yichang city, in Hubei province at 11:20 pm on Monday, according to the Chongqing Evening News. No injures have been reported.

Three of the containers have been retrieved so far, CCTV reported Wednesday, but the the 12 chemical containers remain unrecovered.

Six of the containers held potassium permanganate, a disinfectant. One held sodium permanganate, which is used to make circuit boards. The other five carried potassium hydroxide, a toxic chemical used in fertilizers and soaps.

The 62 containers fell from a cargo ship carrying 176 containers of various goods, from pickled foods to metal doors, when it made a sharp turn, according to the News Office of Yichang Municipal government.

A preliminary investigation made by the Maritime Bureau of the Three Gorges said the likely causes of the accident were poor navigation and the fact that the containers were not properly secured to the deck of the ship.

Roughly 100,000 of Yichang's over four million residents had their water supply briefly suspended for fear of contamination. However, by 11:00 on Tuesday morning, water quality tests showed no signs of any toxic chemicals, and the water supply was resumed.

The lack of contamination is probably because the Yangtze River has reached its flood season, and so its waters have diluted the chemicals, an engineer whose surname is Peng from the Yangtze River Maritime Safety Administration said.