Five people died of toxic poisoning after illegally discharging liquid industrial waste in north China’s Hebei province on Friday.

According to a preliminary investigation by local police, the workers inhaled toxic gas and fainted while dumping waste from two tankers at a river near Niuxinzhuang Village in Wuji County at around 05:30 a.m. local time.

They died at a nearby hospital despite emergency medical treatment.

An aerial video shows smoke rising from a black pit on the ground at the site of the dumping.

Police have cordoned off the site, but people are reporting a strong odor as far as two kilometers away.

There have been no reports of illness from local residents thus far.

Police said the incident is being treated as a criminal case.

They have traced the dumping to a 12-member gang that includes those killed in the dumping, and have arrested seven other suspects.

Story by CCTV