Ennore Ammonia Gas Leak: At least 25 hospitalised, residents made to evacuate their homes

At least 25 people were hospitalized after reporting discomfort and uneasiness due to an ammonia gas leak at a fertilizer manufacturing unit in Ennore, north Chennai, on Tuesday night. An unpleasant odor had reportedly enveloped the neighborhood, following the leak in the sub-sea pipe of Coromandel International Limited, at around 11:45 pm. The Tamil Nadu Environment and Forest Department confirmed the ammonia gas leak in a sub-sea pipe in Ennore and stated that the leak was identified and immediately stopped.

“As part of routine operation, we noticed an abnormality on 26/12/2023 at 23.30 hrs in the ammonia unloading subsea pipeline near shoreside, outside the plant premises. Our Standard Operating Procedure was activated immediately, and we have isolated the ammonia system facility and brought the situation to normalcy in the shortest time. During the process, a few members of the local community expressed discomfort and were given medical attention immediately. All are safe and normalcy is restored. We have informed relevant authorities about the incident. Coromandel has always adhered to the highest safety standards and emergency response system,” said Amir Alvi, Coromandel International Limited's President and Head of Manufacturing (Fertiliser) and Supply Chain on Wednesday.

Residents of nearby areas such as Periya Kuppam, experienced symptoms like nausea and faintness, and were promptly transported to nearby hospitals for immediate medical attention. Following reports of the gas leak, residents evacuated their homes and congregated on the roads.
Officials from the fertilizer manufacturing unit immediately took measures to address the technical issue.

According to DIG Joint Commissioner Avadi, Vijayakumar, there are no longer any gas (ammonia) leaks in Ennore, and people have returned home. Medical and police teams remain present at the site to ensure the situation is under control. Police officers reassured the public and advised the residents to return to their homes, stating that the leak had been tended to.

"Immediately the Joint Chief Environmental Engineer JCEE (M) Chennai along with District Environmental Engineer DEE (Ambattur) and Assistant Executive Engineer AEE (Manali) reached the site by 2.15 am and inspected the unit and the pipeline locations. The Joint Director, Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) who is the authority for the safety of the industrial operation was also present at the site,” said Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Environment Climate Change and Forests.

As per reports, the unit noticed a drop in pipeline pressure around 11:45 pm, accompanied by the detection of a pungent odor. The Tamil Nadu Environment and Forest Department reported that the unit promptly visited the pipeline location across the road and saw gas bubbles emerging about 2 feet from the shore. In response, the unit swiftly initiated depressurization of the pipeline by redirecting the ammonia vapor to the flare, completing the operation within 20 minutes.