Tamil Nadu CM constitutes three-member committee to probe Ammonia gas leak incident in Tiruvallur
Tiruvallur, June 21
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday ordered the formation of a three-member committee to investigate the ammonia gas leak at a seafood export facility in Tiruvallur district that affected more than 20 people.
The committee, comprising the Director of Industrial Safety and Health, the Member Secretary of the Pollution Control Board and the Additional Director of Public Health, has been directed to submit an interim report within 24 hours and a final report within three days.
The Chief Minister also instructed the state's IT Minister, who is the Tiruvallur Monitoring Minister, along with Monitoring Officer KP Karthikeyan, IAS, to rush to the district and coordinate with the District Collector and local administration to ensure the best possible medical care and assistance for those affected.
According to preliminary reports, a total of seven persons affected by the gas leak incident have been admitted to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai for treatment in ICU. The victims were shifted from the affected area for specialised medical care, while health officials are closely monitoring their condition.
Following information received from the Tiruvallur District Collector's office, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 4th Battalion's headquarters in Arakkonam was immediately alerted about the emergency.
Based on the request from the district administration and under the directions of Senior Commandant Akhilesh Kumar of the NDRF 4th Battalion, a specialised Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) response team was swiftly deployed to the affected site.
The rescue team, comprising 30 NDRF personnel from Chennai, reached the location equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), gas detection devices, and specialised CBRN rescue equipment to carry out emergency response operations.
The team is currently engaged in evacuating affected individuals to safe locations, isolating the hazardous zone, assessing the impact of the gas leak, and coordinating with the district administration to ensure public safety and prevent further risks.
Rescue and mitigation efforts are continuing at the site.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is scary — ammonia gas leaks can be extremely dangerous. I work near an industrial area and these incidents make me worry about our safety. The NDRF response was good, but we need stricter enforcement of pollution control norms. Better late than never.
Respect to the NDRF team for reaching so quickly with all the equipment. But why do we always act only after an incident? These seafood units should have been checked regularly. Let’s hope the affected people recover soon. 🇮🇳
I understand the CM's quick response, but this is a recurring issue in industrial belts of Tamil Nadu. The Pollution Control Board should conduct surprise inspections rather than waiting for such emergencies. 24-hour interim report is good, but implementation matters.
As someone from the US who visits India often, I appreciate how quickly the authorities acted here. In many countries, such responses take days. Hope the victims in ICU recover fully — industrial safety is a global concern.
Good to see the CM taking personal interest and sending ministers. But the real question is — what about the families? Who will compensate them? We need a proper policy for industrial disaster victims, not just ad-hoc committees. Democracy demands accountability.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.