Seven women died during treatment on Sunday after being affected in an alleged major ammonia gas leak at a private seafood processing unit in Kannigaipair near Periyapalayam in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district, police said.
An ammonia gas leak at the St Peter’s Paul Seafoods Exports plant in Kannigaipair, near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district, left over 20 people affected on Sunday, preliminary reports cited by PTI said.
VIDEO | Tamil Nadu: Several people hospitalised in Tiruvallur after ammonia leaks in shrimp factory.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/GTZBNwMsau
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 21, 2026
Following an alert from the Tiruvallur District Collector’s office, the National Disaster Response Force’s (NDRF) 4th Battalion headquarters in Arakkonam was mobilised to respond to the emergency. Based on the request from the district administration and under the directions of Senior Commandant Akhilesh Kumar of the NDRF 4th Battalion, a specialised Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) response team was swiftly deployed to the affected site.
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The rescue team, comprising 30 NDRF personnel from Chennai, reached the location equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), gas detection devices, and specialised CBRN rescue equipment to carry out emergency response operations. The team is currently engaged in evacuating affected individuals to safe locations, isolating the hazardous zone, assessing the impact of the gas leak, and coordinating with the district administration to ensure public safety and prevent further risks. Rescue and mitigation efforts are continuing at the site.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has instructed to form a committee to enquire into the Ammonia Gas Leak incident. A three-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, stated the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).
It further stated, “CM had instructed IT Minister /Tiruvallur Monitoring Minister to rush to Tiruvallur along with the Monitoring Officer Dr KP Karthikeyan, IAS to give the best possible care to the affected in coordination with District Collector and district administration.”
Meanwhile, dismissing initial rumours of multiple fatalities, a senior treating doctor from a private hospital confirmed to reporters that while several patients remain critical, no deaths had occurred at their facility. “We admitted 44 patients in total, comprising 43 young women and one man. Out of these, we have intubated 15 to 16 patients, and 11 are currently on ventilator support,” the doctor told reporters.
Also Read | Tamil Nadu: 30 students hospitalized after suspected gas leak at Tiruvottiyur school
The doctor noted that the affected workers are quite young, mostly women aged between 24 and 25 years. “They are alive, and we can monitor their pulse and blood pressure, though their blood pressure is currently tracking quite low. Because they are young, we are optimistic they will recover. We are also arranging to shift four to five of the more critical patients to a government facility for advanced care,” the doctor added.
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Hritika Mitra is a Senior Sub-Editor at India.com. In her four years-long career, she has covered events ranging from the Iran-Israel War, the 2024 US presidential election, and the Russia-Ukraine War … Read More
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