BHUBANESWAR: Sixty-two migrant workers from Odisha who survived the ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing factory in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district returned to the state on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the death toll among Odia migrant workers rose to 13 with one Kabita Juanga from Keonjhar district succumbing to her injuries.
The workers arrived at Bhubaneswar railway station, where the Labour and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) department had made arrangements for their onward journey to Keonjhar and other districts.
According to officials, 58 of the 62 returnees were from Keonjhar district while one each belonged to Koraput, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal. Fifty-nine workers were transported to Keonjhar in two buses and separate transport arrangements were made for the remaining four to reach their respective districts.
Labour commissioner Indramani Tripathy visited the railway station and supervised their safe transportation. BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan and his team were also present.
Some of the workers alleged that they were forced to return even though their family members and relatives injured in the gas leak were undergoing treatment in different hospitals. They appealed to the state government to help them in going back to Tamil Nadu for attending to them.
Sumanta Juanga from Rangamatia village said his wife has been admitted to a Chennai hospital but the family has not received any update on her condition for the past five days. “My in-laws are in Chennai and they too have not been able to get any information about her health. The government should do something about it,” he said.
A Tamil Nadu Health department bulletin stated, 23 workers from Odisha are still undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Chennai. The Labour department stated that the state government has directed officials to extend all necessary assistance to the affected families.
They said on June 26, the mortal remains of Sumitra Juanga, Deepanjali Juanga and Rita Juanga reached Bhubaneswar. The government has completed dignified return of the mortal remains of 11 migrant workers. The bodies have been brought back to Keonjhar in four phases between June 23 and June 26 by flights and Mahaprayan hearses, officials said.
