Five people were hospitalised after ammonia gas leaked from a fertiliser manufacturing facility pipe in Ennore near Chennai on Tuesday night. Their condition is reported to be stable.
Residents living near the shore complained of uneasiness and difficulty breathing after a strong smell permeated the air near a sub-sea pipe of Coromandel International Limited.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board said the leak was detected soon and contained soon.Â
“No need to panic. The leak has been stabilised. No more gas (ammonia) leaks at Ennore. People are reassured and are back home. medical and police teams present.” senior police officer Vijayakumar said in a tweet.
According to officials, information was received about the gas leak at 12.45 am and environment officials were dispatched to inspect the location where bubbles were seen coming out of the sub-sea pipeline.Â
“The officials also immediately visited the pipeline location across the road and observed gas bubbles coming out of the pipeline at about 2′ from the shore. The unit immediately started depressurising the pipeline by diverting the ammonia vapour to the flare and completed the operation within 20 minutes,” the Tamil Nadu Environment and Forest Department said.
In a statement, Coromandel International Limited said an “abnormality” was observed at 11.30pm in the ammonia unloading sub-sea pipeline near shoreside. “Our Standard Operating Procedure activated immediately, and we have isolated ammonia system facility and brought the situation to normalcy in the shortest time,”
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board officials told NDTV that a committee of pollution and environmental experts has been set up to investigate the matter.
