Ammonia gas leak toll rises to 10 in Tiruvallur; 68 still hospitalised
The death toll in an ammonia gas leak at a private seafood processing unit in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district has risen to 10, while 68 others remain hospitalised, the Health and Family Welfare Department said in a bulletin on Wednesday.
The industrial accident occurred during routine operations on June 21 in the Kannigaipair and Manjangaranai area near Periyapalayam.
Of those killed, eight were women from Odisha and two were from Assam.
Two deaths were reported on the day of the incident, followed by six on June 22, and one each on June 23 and June 24. The mortal remains of five victims were airlifted to Odisha on Tuesday, and the remaining five will be transported once all legal formalities are completed.
A total of 83 individuals were affected by the leak, of whom 68 are currently undergoing treatment across four hospitals.
The majority are migrant workers-33 from Odisha, 16 from Assam, nine from Jharkhand, three from Kerala, one from West Bengal, and six from Tamil Nadu. Among those hospitalised, 65 are women, and three are men. Five individuals have been discharged.
Those affected primarily presented with symptoms consistent with ammonia inhalation — breathlessness, coughing, chest discomfort, eye irritation, and varying degrees of respiratory distress. Of those hospitalised, 17 are on ventilator support, 21 are receiving nasal oxygen, and 30 are reported stable.
The patients are being treated at Vels Hospital, Venkateswara Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, and Stanley Hospital. Emergency medical response teams, police personnel, fire and rescue services, and district administration officials were mobilised to manage the incident and facilitate medical assistance.
Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the leak.
The Health Department said it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with district authorities.
The Government has recommended continuous surveillance of exposed workers for delayed respiratory complications, environmental monitoring of the affected premises, and occupational health and safety audits of similar facilities in the district.
