Toxic gas leaks from Sakai factory; 23 injured_OSAKA--Hydrogen fluoride gas leaked Saturday from a chemical plant in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, causing 23 people to suffer throat and eye pains, police said.The toxic gas leaked after equipment that absorbs the gas at Stella Chemifa Corp.'s Sanbo factory malfunctioned at about 3:45 p.m.Twenty-three people complaining of sore eyes or throats, including some working at a neighboring office, were taken to a hospital, but no one was seriously injured.None of the about 50 workers who were in the Stella Chemifa factory was affected, the police said.According to Sakai-Kita Police Station, hydrogen fluoride water solution is refined at the factory by remote operation, but the equipment that absorbs the gas broke down due to a power cut.
