CHENNAI: The death toll in Sunday’s ammonia gas leak at St Peter & Paul Sea Food Exports Private Limited in Tiruvallur rose to 16 on Saturday after Kabita Juanga, a migrant worker from Odisha, succumbed to her injuries at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai. Meanwhile, the first batch of 62 migrant workers from Odisha who left TN by train on Friday reached their home state on Saturday.
However, scores of workers from Jharkhand and Assam who continue to stay at a temporary relief camp alleged that they remain uncertain about when they would be allowed to return home. They also claimed that they were being kept in the dark about the condition of their relatives admitted to hospitals due to the gas leak.
In a video appeal addressed to the Jharkhand government, a worker, identified as Dilip, said the group had been staying at the camp for the past six days after being evacuated from the factory. While food and accommodation were being provided, he alleged that they were neither allowed to leave the camp nor given any official update on their future.
“We are repeatedly told, ‘today or tomorrow’, but nobody tells us exactly what is happening. Every official who visits says they are waiting for approval from the government,” he said.
Revenue department officials told TNIE that arrangements were being made to facilitate the return of workers from Assam in coordination with officials from the state. On the workers’ demand to meet their relatives, officials said arranging hospital visits for everyone was not feasible. “Whenever workers seek information about their family members, we collect the details and share updates,” they said.
