Bengal: Several Workers Fall Ill After Toxic Gas Leaks From Cold Drink Manufacturing Unit In Kolkata

A toxic gas leak sickened several workers at a cold drink manufacturing plant in the Kamalgazi district of Kolkata's southern outskirts on Monday.

Several workers at a cold drink manufacturing unit in the Kamalgazi region of Kolkata's southern outskirts fell ill on Monday as a result of a poisonous gas leak, news agency PTI reported citing official sources. 

According to a senior police officer, two firefighters who went there to rescue the workers also became ill.

"We evacuated the workers of the factory and people of the nearby locality and trying to spot what the problem is. Going by the pungent smell of the gas it seems to be Ammonia. We have a team of doctors with us," a police official was quoted as saying by PTI. 

Ammonia, a fundamental component of ammonium nitrate fertiliser, is irritant and corrosive. High levels of ammonia in the air induce acute burning of the nose, throat, and respiratory system. This can result in bronchiolar and alveolar oedema, as well as airway damage and respiratory distress.

Last week on Friday, twenty-five students were hospitalised upon becoming ill purportedly as a result of a gas leak from a laboratory at a college in Telangana's Hyderabad.  According to ANI, the incident occurred at Kasturba Gandhi Junior Women's College in East Maredpally, Hyderabad.

According to the PTI report, forensic teams have arrived on the scene to determine which gas was released.  All students were out of danger.

On November 1, several people collapsed in Punjab's industrial town Ludhiana due to a gas leak in an oxygen manufacturing factory in Giaspura area. Most of the people who fainted were employees of the factory, news agency IANS reported citing official sources.

In May, Vishakapatnam was the scene of one of the deadliest gas spills since the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984. Styrene gas leaked from the LG Polymers factory on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, in the early morning hours. Hundreds of people were hospitalised as a result of the leak, which killed nearly eight people.

RRV Puram, Venkatapuram, BC Colony, Padmapuram, and Kamparapalem were among the locations hit by styrene gas, popularly known as PVC gas. The gas leak brought back memories of the Bhopal gas tragedy, which killed thousands of people more than 35 years ago.

(With Inputs From Agencies)