CHENNAI: The death toll following a catastrophic ammonia gas leak at St Peter & Paul Sea Foods Exports, a major commercial seafood processing and export facility near Periyapalayam in the Tiruvallur district, tragically escalated to five on Monday. According to emergency medical bulletins, three critical workers succumbed to severe internal chemical trauma overnight. The localized industrial accident has triggered a high-level public health response across Tamil Nadu, with investigative teams and forensic experts rushing to the industrial site to determine the systemic failure that caused the leakage.
According to statistical registries released by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, two factory workers lost their lives by Sunday night, followed by three additional fatalities registered in the early hours of Monday morning. In total, 74 individuals were directly exposed to the highly concentrated toxic plume. Currently, 67 patients continue to receive specialized clinical treatment across various government and private medical college hospitals, while two affected individuals have been successfully stabilized and discharged. Those admitted exhibited acute clinical symptoms, including profound breathlessness, extreme irritation of the eyes and upper respiratory tract, relentless coughing, heavy chest discomfort, and volatile phases of respiratory distress.
A profile of the victims reveals that the vast majority are young migrant female workers in the vulnerable age bracket of 19 to 20 years, who traveled from far-off states including Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam, and West Bengal for industrial employment. Since the incident unfolded at approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday—the official weekly holiday for the shrimp processing plant—the off-duty laborers were resting inside their designated company housing complex. The dormitory setup was built roughly 50 metres away from the main refrigeration ammonia plant, leaving the sleeping workers completely trapped when the heavy gas cloud blanketed the residential quarters. Law enforcement cells have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and a comprehensive review of hazardous industrial safety compliance has been ordered by the state administration.
ലഘു വിവരണം
തമിഴ്നാട്ടിലെ തിരുവള്ളൂരിൽ സുഗന്ധവ്യഞ്ജന മത്സ്യ കയറ്റുമതി പ്ലാന്റിലുണ്ടായ അമോണിയ വാതക ചോർച്ചയിൽ മരിച്ചവരുടെ എണ്ണം അഞ്ചായി ഉയർന്നു. ചികിത്സയിലായിരുന്ന മൂന്ന് പേർ കൂടി തിങ്കളാഴ്ച പുലർച്ചെയോടെ മരണമടയുകയായിരുന്നു. വിഷവാതകം ശ്വസിച്ച 74 പേരിൽ 67 തൊഴിലാളികൾ ഇപ്പോഴും കടുത്ത ശ്വാസതടസ്സങ്ങളോടെ ചികിത്സയിലാണ്. ഒഡീഷ, ജാർഖണ്ഡ്, അസം തുടങ്ങിയ സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുള്ള 19-20 വയസ്സുകാരായ യുവതികളാണ് അപകടത്തിൽപ്പെട്ടവരിൽ ഭൂരിഭാഗവും. പ്ലാന്റിൽ നിന്ന് 50 മീറ്റർ മാത്രം അകലെയുള്ള ഹോസ്റ്റലിൽ വിശ്രമിക്കുകയായിരുന്ന ഇവരുടെ മുറികളിലേക്ക് വാതകം അതിവേഗം പടരുകയായിരുന്നു.
(With inputs from TNIE)
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