'People inhaled poisonous chemicals'

The effects of the pungent odour was less since only one cylinder had leaked.
Around 10.45 am, many passersby and employees of Excel, NDR and other garment manufacturing units complained of breathlessness. They were shifted to the hospitals in ambulances. The police have initiated a case of negligence case against the garment unit, identified as A Solanki, a senior citizen. “He is believed to have expressed shock over the accident, claiming he had no clue the cylinder lay in the open,” said an investigating officer.

St John’s Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr George D’Souza said: “A number of many workers were treated as they had developed uneasiness in breathing. We gave them nebulizers for easy breathing at the OPD and five are under observation.”