Around 29 women, including 16 migrant labourers from Odisha, suffered from suffocation and fainted after an alleged ammonia gas leak at a private fish processing plant in the Pudoor Pandiya Puram area of Thoothukudi. The incident took place at 11 PM on Friday and all the affected workers were immediately taken to two private hospitals for treatment.
The private fish processing and exporting company, which employs over 500 women from various parts of Tamil Nadu and other states, experienced the gas leak due to an alleged electrical short circuit. As a result of the issue, an ammonia gas cylinder reportedly exploded in the fish processing plant. The resultant gas spread throughout the plant leading to the exposure of workers to ammonia.
Amid the chaos, five women from the Kumbakonam area of Tamil Nadu and 16 women from Odisha fainted, according to a report on DT Next. Many other employees reported experiencing suffocation and eye irritation. In total, over 29 female employees were admitted to three private hospitals in Thoothukudi—AVM Hospital, Rajesh Tilak Hospital, and Arulraj Hospital—by vehicles and ambulances provided by Nila See Put Company.
The Thalamuthu Nagar police have launched an investigation into the incident. The preliminary investigation into the case revealed that in June 2014, 50 people were affected by ammonia gas at this fish processing plant, which exports fish to foreign countries, according to a report on ABP Nadu.