Mumbai: 65 gas leak patients discharged

Nearly 65 people out of the total 120, who were admitted in various hospitals after inhaling chlorine gas which leaked from a cylinder near the Bombay Port Trust, have been discharged, officials said on Thursday.

Sixty five patients have been discharged so far and some more are likely to be discharged by Thursday evening, a civic body official said.

"Nobody is in a critical condition. Most of the patients were discharged on Wednesday and today morning," Dr P P Lahane, Dean of JJ hospital said. He added that due to the intake of chlorine gas, the patients had developed breathlessness and were facing burning sensation in their eyes, on their faces and hands.

The police had on Wednesday night filed an FIR against unidentified persons in connection with the gas leak under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Environment Protection Act.

At least 120 people were admitted in King Edward Memorial hospital, JJ, Bombay Port Trust and Balaji hospitals when they took ill after inhaling chlorine gas. The gas had leaked on Wednesday from one of the imported cylinders lying in Bombay Port Trust's Hay Bandar premises for the last 13 years.

According to police and fire brigade officials, the affected persons included college students, BPT staff and firemen.

The BPT, police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation are jointly conducting a probe into the incident while the ministry of shipping has sought a detailed report from the port trust authorities.

According to an official press release, 136 cylinders, including the one from which the gas escaped, had been lying on BPT's Hay Bandar premises for several years. These had been imported in 1997 but the importers did not take their delivery, it said.

"The Bombay Port Trust is checking its records to find out whether any action had been taken for the disposal of the hazardous material in the past," the release said.