Several workers were killed and dozens hospitalised after an ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing facility in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district.
Tiruvallur/New Delhi, June 21:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the loss of lives following a tragic ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing facility in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district.
The incident occurred at a seafood export unit near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district, where ammonia gas reportedly leaked from an industrial refrigeration system used for seafood preservation.
According to reports, the leak affected a large number of workers present at the facility. Initial reports indicated two deaths, but later updates suggested that the death toll had risen to seven. More than 60 workers were reportedly hospitalised after suffering breathing difficulties and other symptoms associated with ammonia exposure.
Many of the affected workers were migrant labourers employed at the processing unit. Emergency response teams, ambulances and police personnel rushed to the site and shifted victims to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Ammonia is widely used in industrial refrigeration systems but can be highly dangerous when released in large quantities. Exposure may cause severe respiratory distress, eye irritation, lung damage and, in extreme cases, death.
Expressing condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply pained by the loss of lives and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Following the incident, Tamil Nadu authorities ordered an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the leak. A committee has reportedly been constituted to investigate the cause of the accident and examine whether safety protocols were followed.
The tragedy has once again drawn attention to industrial safety standards and emergency preparedness at facilities handling hazardous substances.
Authorities are continuing their investigation, and casualty figures may be updated as official verification progresses.