Thiruvallur: Seven female workers tragically died during medical treatment on Sunday following a catastrophic ammonia gas leak at a private seafood processing plant in Manjangaranai, situated near Periyapalayam. The hazardous chemical release quickly impacted a large number of staff members on the factory floor, prompting an immediate emergency evacuation and rescue operation. Thiruvallur District Collector S Kavitha confirmed that a total of 67 affected employees were rapidly transported to nearby medical centers for urgent intervention to counter the toxic inhalation.
According to administrative updates, 46 of the injured individuals are currently undergoing treatment at Vels Hospital, while another 21 workers have been admitted to Venkateshwara Hospital. As the medical conditions of certain patients deteriorated, nine individuals who were identified as critically ill were stabilised and mobilised via a fleet of ambulances to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai for specialized treatment. A senior treating physician from one of the private facilities noted that the victims are predominantly young women between the ages of 24 and 25. The doctor stated that while the patients are currently stable with monitorable vital signs, their blood pressure remains dangerously low, though medical teams remain optimistic about their recovery due to their young age.
District Collector Kavitha personally inspected the industrial site to evaluate the containment of the chemical breach and subsequently visited the various medical facilities to monitor the ongoing relief operations. The local administration has ordered a formal statutory investigation to determine the precise technical cause behind the failure of the valve that triggered the leak. The upcoming inquiry will closely examine the export facility’s operational protocols to investigate potential safety lapses, maintenance oversights, or structural negligence that led to the fatal industrial accident.
