BALASORE: Odisha Government on Thursday ordered a probe into the leakage of toxic gas in Falcon Marine Exports Limited, a prawn processing plant in Balasore district, that led to the hospitalisation of 98 persons, mostly women.
Minister for Labour and Employees' State Insurance and Rural Development Susanta Singh has asked Balasore Collector K Sudarshan Chakrabarty to inquire into the cause of the incident and submit a report detailing the operation of the processing unit.
Singh reached Balasore in the wee hours of Thursday and met the affected women undergoing treatment at Fakir Mohan Government Medical College and Hospital.
Later, he chaired a meeting of district officials and directed them to take action against the plant management if it is found to be violating the labour rules and regulations. He asked the District Labour Officer (DLO) to find out whether the unit had employed any minors as alleged by the locals.
The district police have sealed the unit and detained seven senior employees in this connection. A special team of forensic experts from Bhubaneswar has arrived there and started an investigation to ascertain the cause of gas leakage.
As many as 98 persons, including 97 women contractual workers had fallen sick after they came in contact with the toxic gas while processing prawns in the plant at Panpana under Khantapada police limits on Wednesday night.
Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer Banerjee Prasad Chhotray said while all affected workers were provided treatment, 40 among them were admitted in Khantapada CHC. Later 13 women were shifted to the medical college and hospital after their condition deteriorated.
"They fell unconscious after inhaling chlorine gas. All are out of danger. A team of doctors from SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack is arriving here to check the health condition of the affected. They will be discharged soon," he informed.
Meanwhile, the labour department officials have started probing the allegation of engagement of minor girls in the plant. DLO Kuber Behera has visited the unit and interacted with the locals. "Verification of documents is on. We will also check the medical records to find out the age group of women admitted for treatment," Behera added.