Defying Law Of Nature Or A Freak Gas Leak? Fire-Spitting Faucet In Viral Video Sparks Probe

KEY POINTS

The video was shared on the Chinese microblogging website Weibo, where it went viral
Local authorities are investigating a possible gas infiltration
Other residents in the province have also complained of gaseous tap water pouring from their faucets

The video of a Chinese woman’s faucet breathing fire has gone viral online, prompting authorities to investigate the real reason behind the bizarre phenomenon.

The woman, surnamed Wen, a resident of Panjin, a Port City in the Chinese province of Liaoning, shared the footage of a stream of tap water in what appears to be her bathroom sink, bursting into flames whenever a lighter is placed under it.

The clip was shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo Sunday, where it quickly went viral, according to Sixth Tone, a Chinese publication. The publication mentions that the Liaoning province in China is home to a sprawling natural gas industry, indicating a possible gas spill into the main water source of the city.

The video was later posted by People’s Daily China. The publication said an underground water supply system error is to blame for the natural gas infiltration. It added that the water supply in question is now shut down and a local government investigation is underway.

Videos of flammable tap water in Panjin, NE China's Liaoning have gone viral. The odd scene is caused by natural gas infiltration due to temporary underground water supply system error, which is now shut down. Normal supply has resumed. Further probe will be conducted: local govt pic.twitter.com/a5EOA5SATU
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) November 24, 2020

Wen claimed that gas poured out of her home’s tap occasionally over the past three to four years. She said her father alerted the local water supplier in summer, who said it may be due to the recently upgraded water quality. The supplier literally did nothing about it, except discounting 100 yuan $15.17 from the water bill, Sixth Tone reported.

The video has since racked up over 7,000 views on Twitter. Residents in the province have been experiencing gas streaming from their faucets for at least two years, with one resident saying gaseous and "oily" water spurting from her household faucets for over three to four years, Newsweek reported, citing Chinese media.

"Compared to regular tap water, our water always seems more oily," Wen told Chinese media outlet CCTV, according to Newsweek. "My mother had concerns about our health because the water was gaseous but odorless."

The construction of an $8.5 bln gas storage project was started in the city of Panjin last year by China National Petroleum Corp’s (CNPC) unit Liaohe Oilfield of CNPC. The project, which is still ongoing, is aimed to build the biggest underground natural gas storage center in northeast China. The Sixth Tone reported that major gas supply pipelines from the reservoir run through the city.