Ammonia Leak at Tamil Nadu Seafood Plant Kills Nine Workers

An ammonia gas leak at a private seafood processing and export facility in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district killed nine workers, all women, the state health department said Tuesday. Seven of the deceased were from Odisha, two from Assam. Eight have been identified; one body remains unidentified.

The leak occurred June 21 during routine operations at the facility near Periyapalayam. Sixty-nine people were admitted to hospitals across the region, with 27 at Vels Hospital, 18 at Venkateswara Hospital, 11 at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, and 13 at Stanley Medical College Hospital. Two others were discharged earlier.

Patients arrived with severe symptoms of ammonia inhalation: acute breathlessness, coughing, chest discomfort, and irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation, the government said. District authorities and healthcare institutions are coordinating treatment and surveillance.

The facility itself has not been named in official releases. The incident is the latest in a string of industrial gas leaks at Indian food processing plants, where ammonia is commonly used as a refrigerant. The state government has not announced any suspension of operations at the site or named the company involved.

All hospitalised workers remain under observation. A full investigation report is pending.