CHENNAI: Two women workers from Odisha died and 62 others were hospitalised after an ammonia gas leak from a seafood export unit at Kannigaipair near Periyapalayam (around 40km from Chennai) in Tiruvallur district on Sunday morning.
The deceased were identified as Jumani Juang (19) and Malati (20). The condition of seven workers is critical, sources said. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered a probe by a high-level committee and a solatium of `2 lakh each to kin of the deceased. Police registered a case and are questioning the unit’s owners.
The workers, most of them young women aged 19-20 and hailing from Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam and West Bengal, were off-duty and resting in their hostel rooms about 50m from the unit’s ammonia plant when the leak occurred around 11 am.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, roped in by the Tamil Nadu government to carry out rescue operations, said the gas had spread to the workers’ accommodation, causing them breathing difficulties and discomfort. According to Health Minister K G Arunraj, one of the workers killed died on the way to the hospital. Of the 62 hospitalised, 58 are women and four are men.
An NDRF official told TNIE that the unit’s main ammonia storage was on the ground floor. The leak is suspected to have been from a nozzle on a pipeline carrying the gas to the first floor. “We suspect this caused the incident, but the exact cause will be known only after a detailed technical investigation,” he said.
130 unaffected workers of plant shifted to nearby marriage hall
Briefing reporters after visiting the victims at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Arunraj said experts had reported a high level of ammonia, around 300 ppm, in the air at the plant.
Regarding those on ventilator support, the minister said that they had inhaled high levels of ammonia, causing swelling in their faces and respiratory tracts and affecting their lungs too.
“Even the doctors have said they have not seen such severe cases before,” he said, assuring that the hospitals were fully equipped to treat the patients and their condition is closely being monitored.
Among those affected, 10 were admitted to the RGGGH, seven at Stanley, 18 at Sri Venkateshwara Medical College Hospital and 24 at Vels Medical College Hospital.
“The CM has instructed that we ensure speciality treatment to the affected,” Arunraj added.
Health Secretary Darez Ahamed told TNIE that the number of workers admitted in the GHs was likely to increase as some of them are shifted from the private hospitals.
Tiruvallur Collector S Kavitha told TNIE that the firm, which owned the seafood export plant (which specialised in prawn/shrimp processing), had the required licences and that a government-appointed committee had begun an inquiry into the cause behind the leak.
“All workers have been shifted to a safe location. The affected are receiving treatment and a detailed investigation is under way,” she said.
About 130 workers from the unit, who were not affected by leak, the were shifted to the Govinda Bhavanam marriage hall in Kannigaipair where food and drinking water had been arranged.
Their health is being monitored.
Periyapalayam police have filed a case under sections 105 (culpable homicide) and 125 (a) (endangering human life or safety) of the BNS.
Two brothers who own the firm, Mohan and Joseph, have been taken into custody for inquiry, police sources said.
The bodies of the two victims have been kept at the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for postmortem.
The CM had said measures would be taken to send the victims’ remains to their homes in Odisha for the final rites.
Hours that followed the leak
The ammonia gas leak occurred around 11 am on Sunday at the seafood export unit, spreading to the workers’ accommodation
Health Minister K G Arunraj said that experts had reported a high level of ammonia, around 300 ppm, in the air at the plant
About 130 unaffected workers, hailing from Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam and West Bengal, were sent to a wedding hall nearby
Police registered a case under sections 105 and 125(a) of the BNS. Unit owners, Mohan and Joseph, were detained by police for inquiry
(With inputs from Sinduja Jane @ Chennai)
