INDIA – Five Hospitalized After Chlorine Gas Leak in Madhya Pradesh Industrial Area
A chlorine gas leak at a chemical factory in Ratlam district’s Jaora Industrial Area on Saturday evening led to the hospitalization of five people, including two factory workers and three fire brigade personnel.
Incident
The leak originated from a 40-kg chlorine tank inside a plant that manufactures ferric sulphate for pharmaceutical companies. The factory had reportedly not been operational for several days, and the few staff members present were unable to contain the gas when it began escaping around 6 p.m. Panic spread quickly across the industrial zone as the fumes dispersed.
Emergency Response
Workers’ initial attempts to seal the leak failed, prompting authorities to send fire tenders and rescue teams to the scene. By the time emergency personnel arrived, two workers from a nearby unit had already developed health issues due to exposure.
Specialized chemical response teams from the Nagda Industrial Area in Ujjain district and from Ipca Laboratories in Ratlam were later brought in. Their combined efforts helped bring the situation under control at about 9:15 p.m., nearly three hours after the leak was first detected.
Medical Condition
The two affected workers and the three fire brigade personnel who inhaled the gas were immediately taken to the government medical college hospital in Ratlam. Authorities reported that all five were in stable condition. The workers have since been discharged, while the firefighters remain under observation but are said to be out of danger.
Investigation and Precautions
Police officials have initiated an investigation into the incident and stated that the factory’s owners and management will face negligence charges. As a precaution, operations in roughly ten nearby industrial units have been temporarily halted until further notice.
Representative image: Chemical Plants/Anjaniya Industries. All rights reserved.