On Tuesday night in December, around 11.45 pm, a leak occurred at a fertiliser plant in Ennore near Periyakuppam, north Chennai.
The leak emitted an unpleasant odour, prompting hundreds of residents to take to the streets, complaining of difficulty in breathing, discomfort in their eyes, and face.
The situation turned severe, resulting in over 25 people being hospitalised.
Late on Tuesday night, there was an ammonia gas leak from an underwater pipeline supplying an industrial unit near Periyakuppam in Ennore.
The leak was identified in the sub-sea pipe owned by Coromandel International Limited.
Residents near the manufacturing facility reported feeling unwell, experiencing discomfort, nausea, and faintness.
More than 25 individuals were taken to nearby hospitals for medical attention, reported PTI.
VIDEO | Several hospitalised following Ammonia gas leak at a private chemical factory in Ennore, Tamil Nadu. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/zYbPUzXJVf
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Coromandel International Limited's President mentioned an abnormality detected on December 26, 2023, at 11.30 pm in the ammonia unloading subsea pipeline near the shoreside outside the plant premises.
The company promptly activated its Standard Operating Procedure, isolating the ammonia system facility and restoring normalcy.
Coromandel International Ltd on the #ammoniagas leak that happened last night at its #Ennore unit. pic.twitter.com/EqOEauoCkb
Pressure drop during pre-cooling process
During late hours on December 26, 2023, while conducting the pre-cooling process, Coromandel noticed a pressure drop in the pipeline.
Gas bubbles were observed coming out of the pipeline approximately 2 feet from the shore.
Odour detected by locals
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian meets the people who have been hospitalised after the ammonia gas leak at a chemical factory in Ennore. pic.twitter.com/CdS4p5xLmw
Evacuation and inspection
Families from the affected areas evacuated to safer locations like temples, community halls, and public schools around midnight.
Officials arrived at the site for assessment, monitoring, and inspection of ammonia levels in the air.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu | Ammonia gas leak detected in a sub-sea pipe in Ennore. This was noticed and stopped. The production head says the leak caused a strong smell and five people felt uneasy and were shifted to a health facility. They are fine now: Officials pic.twitter.com/bhCE0vjWSF
Over three hours after the leak, TNPCB's inspection at 3:30 am revealed the ammonia level in the air to be 3 ppm, equivalent to 2090 micrograms/m^3, surpassing the 400 micrograms/m^3 standard on a 24-hour average.
The ammonia level in the seawater sample at the point of pipeline leakage at 3:49 a.m. was found to be 49 mg/litre, exceeding the marine discharge standard of 5 mg/litre.
In Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, residents staged a protest following the discovery of an ammonia gas leak.
#WATCH | Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu: People hold protest after Ammonia gas leak was detected in a sub-sea pipe in Ennore.
According to DIG, Joint Commissioner Avadi, Vijayakumar, there are no more gas (ammonia) leaks at Ennore. People are back home. Medical and police teams are… pic.twitter.com/APYymkgY6X
The Coromandel International Limited facility in Ennore regularly receives and unloads ammonia shipments sourced from Iran or Saudi Arabia, ranging from 3000 to 8000 tonnes every month.
Ammonia arrives in liquid form at an extremely cold temperature of -33 degrees Celsius and is stored in a tank under the same conditions.
Transportation is facilitated through an eight-inch flexible High-Density Polyethylene pipeline beneath the seabed.
Despite timely depressurization and evacuation efforts, TNPCB inspections revealed ammonia levels exceeding safety standards, causing concerns among residents and leading to protests.
Over 25 hospitalised after ammonia gas leak in Chennai's Ennore: What you need to know
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27.12.2023
On Tuesday night in December, around 11.45 pm, a leak occurred at a fertiliser plant in Ennore near Periyakuppam, north Chennai.
The leak emitted an unpleasant odour, prompting hundreds of residents to take to the streets, complaining of difficulty in breathing, discomfort in their eyes, and face.
The situation turned severe, resulting in over 25 people being hospitalised.
Late on Tuesday night, there was an ammonia gas leak from an underwater pipeline supplying an industrial unit near Periyakuppam in Ennore.
The leak was identified in the sub-sea pipe owned by Coromandel International Limited.
Residents near the manufacturing facility reported feeling unwell, experiencing discomfort, nausea, and faintness.
More than 25 individuals were taken to nearby hospitals for medical attention, reported PTI.
VIDEO | Several hospitalised following Ammonia gas leak at a private chemical factory in Ennore, Tamil Nadu. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/zYbPUzXJVf
In a statement........
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