Tamil Nadu: Ammonia gas leak in factory in Tiruvallur, 7 workers died, more than 60 hospitalized

Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu)21 June. Seven workers died due to ammonia gas leakage at a shrimp export factory in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district on Sunday afternoon, while more than 60 people were admitted to hospital, most of whom are said to be in critical condition.

According to the police, there is a private shrimp export factory in a village near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district. At around 1 o’clock in the afternoon, there was a sudden leakage of ammonia gas in the factory and within a few minutes the employees working there started fainting one after the other. With the help of people, more than 60 people were admitted to two local private hospitals. By the time the last news was received, seven workers had died.

CM Vijay gave instructions to investigate the incident

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has directed to form a committee to investigate the ammonia gas leak incident. Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Member Secretary of Pollution Control Board and Additional Director of Public Health will be the members of the committee. The committee will give an interim report within 24 hours and a final report within three days.

A statement said that CM Vijay had met IT Minister R. Kumar was appointed as Monitoring Officer Dr. K.P. Karthikeyan, so that the best care can be given to the affected people in coordination with the District Collector and the district administration.

District Collector visited the factory

Meanwhile, Tiruvallur District Collector Kavitha visited the factory and met patients in hospitals to oversee relief measures. A formal inquiry has been ordered to find out the exact cause of the incident and investigate possible security lapses at the export unit.

A total of 67 affected workers were taken to a nearby medical center soon after the ammonia gas leaked at a private seafood processing unit near Periyapalayam, Collector S Kavitha said. According to him, 46 are being treated at Wells Hospital and 21 at Venkateshwara Hospital. Nine seriously ill patients have been taken to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai by ambulance.

A doctor from a private hospital told journalists, ‘We admitted a total of 44 patients, which include 43 young women and one man. We have intubated 15 to 16 patients and 11 are currently on ventilator support. The doctor said that most of the affected laborers are women aged 24 to 25 years.