Tamil Nadu ammonia gas leak: Seven dead at Tiruvallur seafood factory, CM constitutes committee to probe incident

Seven women died during treatment on Sunday after being affected in a major ammonia gas leak at a private seafood processing unit in Manjangaranai near Periyapalayam, police said.

A total of 67 affected workers were rushed to local medical centres immediately, Tiruvallur District Collector S Kavitha was quoted by PTI as saying.

Kavitha said 46 are being treated at Vels Hospital and 21 at Venkateshwara Hospital. Nine of the most critically ill patients have since been mobilised via ambulances to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar expressed grief over "the tragic ammonia gas leak incident."

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic ammonia gas leak incident at a shrimp processing factory in Kannigaipair Village , near Periyapalayam, Thiruvallur district, which has resulted in the loss of precious lives and caused injuries to several workers," Lok Bhavan posted on X, citing Arlekar.

"My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones in this unfortunate tragedy. I pray for strength and courage for them during this difficult time," Arlekar said.

"I also pray for the speedy recovery of all those who are undergoing treatment and wish them a speedy recovery to good health," he added.

CM constitutes committee to probe gas leak incident

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay ordered the formation of a three-member committee to investigate the ammonia gas leak at a seafood export facility in Tiruvallur district that affected more than 20 people.

The committee comprises the Director of Industrial Safety and Health, the Member Secretary of the Pollution Control Board and the Additional Director of Public Health, according to ANI.

It was directed to submit an interim report within 24 hours and a final report within three days.

The Chief Minister also instructed the state's IT Minister, who is the Tiruvallur Monitoring Minister, along with Monitoring Officer KP Karthikeyan, IAS, to rush to the district and coordinate with the District Collector and local administration to ensure the best possible medical care and assistance for those affected.

Following information received from the Tiruvallur District Collector's office, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 4th Battalion's headquarters in Arakkonam was immediately alerted about the emergency.

Based on the request from the district administration and under the directions of Senior Commandant Akhilesh Kumar of the NDRF 4th Battalion, a specialised Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) response team was swiftly deployed to the affected site.

The rescue team, comprising 30 NDRF personnel from Chennai, reached the location equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), gas detection devices, and specialised CBRN rescue equipment to carry out emergency response operations.

The team is currently engaged in evacuating affected individuals to safe locations, isolating the hazardous zone, assessing the impact of the gas leak, and coordinating with the district administration to ensure public safety and prevent further risks.

Rescue and mitigation efforts are continuing at the site.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)