Chennai, July 6 (IANS) Authorities will continue the operation on Monday to safely remove residual ammonia from the St. Peter and Paul Pvt. Ltd. seafood processing unit at Kannigaipair in Tiruvallur district, more than two weeks after a toxic gas leak at the facility claimed 18 lives and left several workers hospitalised.

District Collector S. Kavitha said the operation would continue until all traces of ammonia were completely evacuated from the plant. She assured that the same stringent safety measures adopted over the weekend would remain in force, with medical teams, ambulances, police personnel and Fire and Rescue Services stationed at the site throughout the exercise.

The ammonia removal process began on Saturday and continued on Sunday under the supervision of a team of industrial safety experts. Around 15 specialists, including personnel from industries experienced in handling ammonia, carried out the operation between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day.

Officials said a substantial quantity of liquefied ammonia stored in the plant’s storage tanks had already been transferred to a specialised ammonia bullet vehicle. However, a limited quantity remained trapped inside the plant’s pipelines, valves and connected equipment. The remaining ammonia has since been condensed before being safely transferred into storage tanks.

Officials said the process requires extreme caution to prevent any accidental release of the hazardous gas.

According to established industrial safety protocols, such operations are carried out only during daylight hours, as ammonia disperses more rapidly during cooler night-time conditions. Daytime operations also enable emergency response teams to monitor the process more effectively and respond immediately in case of any contingency.

Collector Kavitha inspected the site for the second consecutive day on Sunday and reviewed the progress of the operation. She said personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH), Fire and Rescue Services, police and medical teams remained deployed throughout the exercise to ensure public safety.

Officials said the seafood processing unit would be temporarily sealed once the entire quantity of ammonia is removed from the facility.

The ongoing evacuation exercise follows the June 21 ammonia leak at the seafood processing plant, which investigators believe was caused by industrial safety lapses.

The tragedy claimed 18 lives and triggered renewed scrutiny of safety practices at industries handling hazardous chemicals across Tamil Nadu.

–IANS

aal/dpb