ISLAMABAD: Five people died and 67 others remained under medical observation after an ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing facility in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, according to Times of India on Monday.
The leak occurred Sunday at a shrimp processing unit in Periyapalayam, in Tiruvallur district, triggering panic among workers as toxic fumes spread through the facility.
Dozens of employees reported breathing difficulties and other symptoms associated with ammonia exposure.
The main ammonia storage facility was located on the ground floor, and the leak was suspected to be from a nozzle on a pipeline carrying the gas to the first floor.
Emergency response teams reached the site and transported affected workers to nearby hospitals.
Over 60 hospitalized
More than 60 workers were admitted to four hospitals in the region, with 23 of them receiving treatment in intensive care units.
Among the victims were Jumani Juang and B Malothi, migrant workers from the eastern state of Odisha, who died after being exposed to the gas. Authorities later confirmed the death toll had risen to five.
Police arrested the proprietor of the company and the factory manager. Both men are facing a separate pending case related to alleged violations of industrial safety regulations.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced the formation of a three-member committee to investigate the incident and determine the circumstances that led to the leak.
Authorities have launched a broader inquiry into the cause of the accident, while labor and safety officials assess compliance with industrial safety standards at the facility.
