SALEM: Ten people, including a firefighter, were hospitalised after they inhaled the hazardous fumes from a fire caused by chlorine powder at a private tapioca sago factory near Attur on Sunday evening. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), revenue department and other officials later inspected the unit and ordered a temporary halt of its operations pending an inquiry.
The incident occurred at a private factory in Sadasivapuram, under the Attur rural police station limits. According to police, the fire broke out unexpectedly in a storage shed where chlorine powder, along with starch stock and old gunny bags, had been stored.
Sources said the chlorine powder was kept for use in the purification of tapioca starch during the manufacturing process. However, the fire triggered a chemical reaction, releasing dense fumes that spread through the premises.
As workers attempted to bring the blaze under control before the arrival of fire and rescue services personnel, several of them inhaled the fumes and developed breathing difficulties. Firefighters later extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading further.
Nine workers — identified as M Marimuthu (58), M Manikandan (30), M Viji (27), A Prabakaran (34), B Srinivasan (27), T Dharman (49), C Velu (32), P Dhanush (29) and P Dharmadurai (34) — all residents of Sadasivapuram, along with firefighter N Vijayakumar (45) of Pethanaickenpalayam, were admitted to a private hospital in Attur after suffering from respiratory discomfort caused by inhaling the fumes. Officials said all of them are in a stable condition.
Personnel from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), revenue department and other authorities, inspected the premises and directed that the factory's operations be temporarily suspended until further orders. The officials are expected to examine whether the chemical had been stored and handled in accordance with prescribed safety norms.
The Attur rural police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.
