TUTICORIN: Around 30 women workers fell ill after being exposed to ammonia gas due to a sudden leak at a private fish processing plant in the Tuticorin district in the early hours of Saturday.
According to the police, a private plant for fish processing and export operates in Pudur Pandiyapuram, Tuticorin, employing around 500 workers. Around midnight on Friday, an electrical malfunction caused an ammonia gas cylinder to burst, spreading the gas inside the plant.
At least 21 women workers present at the time, including 16 guest workers from Odisha, were exposed to the gas, experiencing symptoms such as breathing difficulties, eye irritation, and fainting.The affected workers were subsequently admitted to private hospitals in Tuticorin and are currently under treatment.
The Puthiyamputhur police are investigating the incident.