Tamil Nadu: One Dead, 14 Hospitalised Due To Chlorine Gas Leak In Erode

The preliminary investigations revealed that the mishap took place while the workers were transferring chlorine from a tank to a cylinder for processing.

Representative Photo

Chennai: One person died and 13 others were hospitalised after chlorine gas leaked from a chemical and bleaching powder manufacturing unit in Chithode of Erode district on Saturday. 

According to a report by The Hindu, the deceased person was identified as Dhamodaran (47) of Nadupalayam, the owner of Sridhar Chemicals in Erode.

The gas leak was first reported around 2.50 pm and the workers of the factory and nearby unit started inhaling the hazardous chemical. Swiftly identifying the difference, the workers also alerted the Chithode police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel to control the leak. 

Both the team arrived at the spot and Dhamodharan and the three workers of the factory were rushed to a hospital. However, Dhamodaran was declared brought dead by the doctors. 

After the incident, 10 workers of a nearby textile unit also complained of burning sensations in the throat and about difficulty in breathing. Therefore, they were admitted to Erode district headquarters hospital and all of them are recovering from the aftermath of the gas leak. 

Later, Erode Collector Krishnanunni and revenue officials visited the spot. The preliminary investigations revealed that the mishap took place while the workers were transferring chlorine from a tank to the cylinder for processing.

In a similar incident in Vizag, nearly 11 persons including an 8-year-old girl died and over 5,000 got sick after a hazardous gas leaked from a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh in May 2020. The leak took place in the wee hours at LG Polymers industry at Gopalapatnam while most of them were asleep and affected the locals in the region up to a 3km radius.