Tamil Nadu: 300 Families Evacuated After Ammonia Gas Leak In Coimbatore Factory

On Tuesday, suddenly Ammonia gas leaked from potato cold storage tank inside the unit and spread to 800 m around the company. 

Despite the evacuation, some residents experienced difficulty breathing and reported irritation in the eyes.

Source : Pixabay

Around 300 families residing in Chenniveerampalayam village near Karamadai in Coimbatore district were evacuated following a reported ammonia gas leak from a defunct chips manufacturing factory in the area on Monday night. The factory had been closed for approximately four years.

According to the police, as reported by Times of India, the factory was sold to Ashik Mohammed of Avinashi. Earlier, chips and french fries were prepared at the unit and sold to other countries. 

Following this, the new owner reportedly started to renovate and repair the machines. 

On Tuesday, suddenly Ammonia gas leaked from potato cold storage tank inside the unit and spread to 800 m around the company. 

Based on the information, the police and rescue personnel reached the spot and closed the valve of the tank. 

Coimbatore SP Badrinarayanan said that ammonia gas spread in the air and it reached 800 m around 11 PM. However, still 300 families were evacuated from the village and made to stay in a marriage hall to avoid any untoward incidents. 

The Coimbatore rural police deployed 30 police personnel to bring back normalcy in the region. 

As a precautionary measure, the SP said that they even vehicles were diverted away from Karamadai-Annur road. 

The revenue officials who reached the spot also helped police to evacuate the villagers. 

Despite the evacuation, some residents experienced difficulty breathing and reported irritation in the eyes. Promptly, a team of doctors attended to the villagers who complained of discomfort, providing necessary treatment.

A private company was pressed into service to fix the gas leak. 

On December 26 last year, an ammonia gas leak was reported in Ennore, Chennai, originating from an under-sea pipeline connected to the fertilizer plant operated by Coromandel International Limited. The incident resulted in the hospitalisation of at least 52 people in Tamil Nadu's capital city.