250 affected by gas leak

The affected persons were admitted to Puducherry Government Medical Hospital.

The chlorine gas that leaked from the chemical unit at Thalapattu near the Pondicherry port, wafted across to a few nearby fishing villages, causing nausea, breathlessness and skin irritation among the people living there, Puducherry Superintendent of Police (Law and Order),  Abdul Kathari said.

Some technical people inside the factory premises were filling cylinders with chlorine gas when the leak occurred around 8 am. For sometime initially, whoever resided there were rushed to government hospita, but only 60 persons were seriously affected by the gas leak, Kathari said.

Pending an enquiry into the gas leakage, Puducherry Chief Minister V Vaithilingam has ordered the temporary closure of the chemical unit, M/s Chemfab Alkalies Limited. An FIR has been filed against the company, the SP said.