Ammonia gas leak in fertilizer plant in Chennai; 52 hospitalised

The leak of ammonia gas from a subsea pipeline linked to a fertiliser manufacturing unit in north Chennai led to local residents suffering shortness of breath and nausea, authorities said on Wednesday, adding that 52 persons are under observation in hospitals.

The leak has been fully plugged and there is no cause for concern, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board said, following protests by people who sought closure of the plant.

"Within 20 minutes, the gas leak was plugged by specialists," an official release here said, adding that "the TNPCB has confirmed that there is no ammonia leak now."

Following the gas leak, the TNPCB ordered immediate suspension of operation of the Ammonia offshore pipeline activity for precooling and transfer.

The unit shall resume activity only after ensuring the safety of the pipelines and after obtaining a No Objection Certificate from the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, the TNPCB said in a notice to the fertiliser manufacturing unit.

Also, other directions to the unit includes approval from Indian Register of Shipping and the TN Maritime Board.

The government has constituted a technical committee of experts to look into the matter and submit its immediate field assessment report within 24 hours and a full report within three days.

The gas leak took place around 11.45 pm on December 26 and some fishermen and local residents who happened to be on the beachfront at midnight noticed unusual sounds and water gushing from some spots above the subsea pipeline.

Soon, an odour spread through the air in north Chennai areas, causing severe discomfort to people.

A number of persons fainted after experiencing a "burning sensation" in their eyes, throat and chest.

Many people who were asleep woke up in panic and rushed out of their homes. They alerted neighbours and all of them soon reached the main roads, unsure of what to do.

For the people of north Chennai, the ammonia gas leak came as a second blow after they were affected by a recent oil spill.

Approximately 60 people including children, who were residents of areas close to the fertiliser plant experienced unease, shortness of breath, nausea, faintness and irritation in the eyes and were treated in hospitals.

As of now, "52 people are under observation in hospitals", the government said, adding that medical camps were organised in the affected areas. In a separate release, the state health department said, "All those in hospitals are doing well.".

Governor R N Ravi expressed concern and wished the affected people a speedy recovery.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed the DMK regime for the incident and said the TNPCB officials should act swiftly and take appropriate preventive steps to avert such accidents.

The former chief minister also demanded that the government provide relief to the affected people.

According to representatives of fishing villages, Chinna Kuppam, Periya Kuppam, Netaji Nagar and Burma Nagar in north Chennai were among the affected neighbourhoods.

People had a tough time finding transport at midnight and used whatever vehicles were available, such as autorickshaws and motorcycles, to reach hospitals.

An elderly woman fainted after bouts of vomiting and was rushed to a hospital in an autorickshaw. Buses and ambulances were also deployed by authorities to immediately bring the affected people to hospitals many kilometres away from the location of the fertiliser plant.

Health minister Ma Subramanian visited the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital here and spoke to the people admitted from the areas where the gas spread, and interacted with hospital authorities.

Coromandel International Limited, a Murugappa group company which runs the fertiliser plant, said in a statement: "As part of routine operation, we noticed abnormality on 26/12/2023 at 23.30 hrs in the ammonia unloading subsea pipeline near shoreside, outside the plant premises. Our Standard Operating Procedure activated immediately, and we have isolated ammonia system facility and brought the situation to normalcy in the shortest time."

During the process, the company said, "a few members in the local community expressed discomfort and were given medical attention immediately. All are safe and normalcy is restored. We have informed the relevant authorities about the incident."

Coromandel said it has always adhered to the "highest safety standards and emergency response system".

The government said it has issued an order mandating that the company carry out appropriate tests after a full repair of its pipelines to completely rule out any scope for leak.

This must be done before unloading Ammonia (in liquid form through undersea pipelines) from ships.

The technical committee of experts set up by the government, which is expected to submit a full report within three days, comprises experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, and officials of the state and central pollution control boards, as well as NEERI and CLRI.

After the company officials addressed the issue, police personnel pacified the people who gathered on the roads and requested them to go back to their homes as there was no problem anymore.

Police personnel were deployed in the area to prevent law and order issues. Meanwhile, sources said a team of NDRF specialists visited the spot to conduct a safety audit.