Five people have died and three others have been injured following a toxic gas leak on Tuesday in a chemical plant in Shancheng district, Hebi city, Henan province.

According to a statement released by the district's emergency management bureau, one of the injured is in severe but stable condition, while the other two sustained minor injuries.

Authorities immediately activated an emergency response, with teams from emergency, environmental, and health departments working to treat the injured and shut down production. Preliminary investigations suggest that sulfuric acid overflowed from a transfer tank and seeped into a septic tank, producing the poisonous gas.

An investigation into the exact cause of the incident is ongoing.