Chennai, July 4 (IANS) A massive operation to safely remove nearly two tonnes of ammonia from a private seafood processing and export unit where a deadly gas leak claimed 18 lives is underway in Tiruvallur district. Authorities are evacuating residents within a 500-metre radius and deploying Army personnel, firefighters and medical teams to prevent any further risk.

The operation is being carried out at the Punitha Peter Paul seafood processing and export unit in Kannigaipair village, where an ammonia leak on June 21 exposed dozens of workers to the toxic gas.

The remaining ammonia is being transferred into specialised tanker trucks for safe disposal under strict safety protocols.

As a precaution, all industries located near the factory have been temporarily shut, while traffic has been diverted from roads surrounding the unit to facilitate the operation and minimise public exposure.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel, disaster response teams and medical staff have been deployed at the site to respond swiftly to any emergency.

Tiruvallur District Collector Kavitha appealed to the public not to panic, assuring residents that every necessary safety measure had been taken to ensure the operation was carried out safely.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the industrial disaster has risen to 18 after Alati Maharana Juwang, a 29-year-old woman worker from Odisha, succumbed to her injuries late on Friday. She had been undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai since the accident.

Fourteen workers continue to remain hospitalised and are receiving treatment at various medical facilities, with health authorities closely monitoring their condition.

The ammonia leak occurred on June 21 at the seafood processing and export company, exposing scores of workers to the hazardous gas. Most of those affected were women employed at the factory, making it one of Tamil Nadu’s deadliest industrial accidents in recent years.

Officials said the ongoing gas removal exercise is intended to eliminate any residual danger inside the factory before further investigations and restoration work begin.

Army personnel and technical experts are overseeing the transfer of the remaining ammonia into secure tanker trucks for safe disposal.

Authorities said the operation will continue until all the ammonia has been removed and the factory premises are declared completely safe. The incident has renewed concerns over industrial safety standards and emergency preparedness at seafood processing units across the state.

–IANS

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