Two die as ammonia leak hits seafood processing unit in Tamil Nadu; dozens treated

Chennai: Casualties were feared and over 40 migrant workers were hospitalised following an ammonia leak in a seafood factory near Chennai on Sunday afternoon. Initial reports put the number of those feared dead from two to seven. An official confirmation on the number of those feared killed was awaited at the time of filing of this report.  The tragedy occurred at the premises of the St Peter and Paul Seafood Exports Pvt Ltd at Kannigaipair Village in Uthukottai Taluk of Tiruvallur district adjoining western Chennai.  Following an alert, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed 30 personnel personnel, who reached the factory for rescue operations. The NDRF deployed a specialised Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) response team from its 4th Battalion in Arakkonam. Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Two people died and several others were affected after an ammonia gas leak at a private fish feed export factory in Kannigaiper village, Tiruvallur district. Nine victims were admitted to the ICU at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, where… pic.twitter.com/P4CgNkWX8J— IANS (@ians_india) June 21, 2026 2 Dead, Dozens Hospitalised After Ammonia Leak At Tamil Nadu Seafood Unit; Probe Ordered Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar expressed concern over the incident. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic ammonia gas leak incident at a shrimp processing factory in Kannigaipair Village, near Periyapalayam, Thiruvallur district, which has resulted in the loss of precious lives and caused injuries to several workers,” he said in a social media post.  The State DIPR said, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has instructed to form a Committee to enquire into the incident. “A 3 member committee with Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Member Secretary, Pollution Control Board and Additional Director of Public Health has been formed to submit an interim report in 24 hours and final report in 3 days,” it said.  Besides, Vijay instructed IT Minister, who is the Minister-in-charge for Tiruvallur, to rush to village along with the Monitoring Officer K.P. Karthikeyan, IAS “to give the best possible care to the affected in coordination with District Collector and district administration.” Sources said many of the affected workers hailed from Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand. They were staying on the factory premises when the gas leaked. while undergoing treatment. The critically affected workers have been rushed to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital and the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai. 

At least two migrant workers lost their lives and more than 46 others were hospitalised after an ammonia gas leak at a seafood export facility in Tamil Nadu's Thiruvallur district on Saturday, prompting the state government to order a high-level investigation and strict action against those responsible.Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Two people died and several others were affected after an ammonia gas leak at a private fish feed export factory in Kannigaiper village, Tiruvallur district. Nine victims were admitted to the ICU at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, where… pic.twitter.com/P4CgNkWX8J— IANS (@ians_india) June 21, 2026 The incident occurred at St Peter's and Paul Seafoods Exports in Kannigaipair near Periyapalayam, where ammonia reportedly leaked from a measuring valve in a shrimp processing unit. Most of the affected workers were migrants from northern states and complained of breathing difficulties, dizziness and vomiting after exposure to the gas. Officials said five workers remain in critical condition, with some likely to be shifted to hospitals in Chennai for specialised treatment.Emergency response teams, including a 30-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) unit from Chennai equipped with gas detection and rescue equipment, carried out evacuation operations at the site.Punjab Tragedy: Father, Son Among 3 Dead In Ludhiana Factory Sewer Gas Leak - VIDEOTamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay directed authorities to take stringent action against those found responsible for the incident. State IT Minister R Kumar, District Collector S Kavitha and Superintendent of Police Sai Praneeth visited the factory to assess the situation.The state government has constituted a three-member committee comprising senior officials from the industrial safety, pollution control and public health departments. The panel has been asked to submit an interim report within 24 hours and a final report within three days.Police have registered an FIR in connection with the incident, and the owner of the seafood processing unit has been detained. Governor Rajendra Arlekar expressed condolences over the deaths and wished a speedy recovery to those undergoing treatment.

A 30-member team has been pressed into service to fix the leak

Tragedy struck a seafood processing plant in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district on Sunday when an ammonia gas leak claimed two lives and hospitalised over 40 individuals. Workers and others at the Manjankaranai facility reportedly collapsed after inhaling the toxic fumes. Emergency services swiftly responded, securing the area and initiating containment efforts. An investigation into the cause of the leak is underway.