A slick of river-borne toxins from a chemical plant explosion has reached the Chinese city of Harbin.
The government is attempting to protect millions of residents from the pollution by digging wells after shutting down its water system.
The 50-mile-long stretch of water carrying toxic benzene reached the city, a northeastern city of 3.8 million people, at about 3am, the government said. It was expected to take 40 hours to pass.
"After it passes . . . we will have to make efforts to disinfect the water," Shi Zhongxin, director of the city's water bureau, said on state television.
Harbin shut down its water system at midnight on Tuesday after a chemical plant explosion earlier this month in the nearby city of Jilin spewed toxic benzene into the Songhua River. Jilin is about 120 miles southeast of Harbin.
The announcement of the impending shutdown set off panicked buying of water, soft drinks and milk. Families stocked up by filling bathtubs and buckets.
The city government announced it was digging 100 new wells.