Two workers, Jumani Juang and B. Malothi, were killed by an ammonia gas leak at a shrimp processing unit in Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district on Sunday. Both women were migrants from Odisha. Over 60 workers have been admitted in four hospitals, of which 23 have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
Also Read: Follow the latest updates on the Tiruvallur ammonia gas leak updates on June 21, 2026
The police arrested the proprietor of the company and the factory manager, who both have a case pending against them for previous violations of industrial safety norms. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay set up a three-member committee to probe the incident.
“A 3 member committee with Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Member Secretary, Pollution Control Board and Additional Director of Public Health has been formed to submit an interim report in 24 hours and final report in 3 days,” an official statement said. To prevent the recurrence of such accidents, the government has mandated immediate joint inspections of all hazardous industries, the statement added.
Mr. Vijay also ordered ₹2 lakh each to be paid to the families of the two dead workers, as a solatium from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund, and directed their bodies to be transported to their native States for final rites at the Tamil Nadu government’s expense.
Tiruvallur district police said the private company, M/s Peter & Paul Seafood Exports Pvt Ltd, located at Kannagiper village near Periyapalayam, was engaged in processing shrimps and exporting them. At the time of the accident, there were 67 people at the site, mostly migrant women, who worked in the factory and lived in the accommodation provided within the premises.
As shrimp spoils quickly, it must be frozen immediately after peeling, and ammonia is the most commonly used refrigerant gas in the industry. When the unit’s ammonia gas tank leaked on Sunday, affecting the workers at the site, it was reported by the Tiruvallur District Collector’s office to the Arakkonam headquarters of the National Disaster Response Force’s 4th Battalion, which immediately dispatched a specialised chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) rescue team to the site. The team, comprising 30 personnel, rushed to the location equipped with necessary personal protective equipment, gas detection devices, and CBRN rescue gear.
The rescue team rushed 46 workers to Vels Hospital in Manjakaranai and 21 workers to the Venkateswara Hospital in Red Hills, sources in the district administration said. From there, those in serious condition were rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital, while seven others were sent to the Government Stanley Hospital in Chennai.
The police had earlier indicated that seven workers were feared killed, but the government later clarified that the death toll was actually two.
Officials inspecting the private seafood processing unit in Manjangaranai, near Periyapalayam, Tamil Nadu, after a major ammonia gas leak happened on June 21, 2026. Photo: NDRF
The Periyapalayam police arrested Mohan, the owner of the factory, and factory manager Daniel, under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (punishable culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
Sources in the Department of Industrial Safety and Health said a case had been filed against the company’s owner and manager for various violations following inspections. During the inspection, it was found the company did not have a suitable alarm system, a fire hydrant, or a Form 12 register for the Employee State Insurance scheme. It had also not obtained a revised plan approval when new equipment was installed, including an ice flaking machine.
Even after giving due notice and conducting a second inspection, these violations were not rectified. A chargesheet was then filed against the company’s owners and manager, and a case is already pending against them in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Tiruvallur, officials said.
" I am deeply saddened by the tragic ammonia gas leak incident at a shrimp processing factory in Kannigaipair Village , near Periyapalayam, Thiruvallur district, which has resulted in the loss of precious lives and caused injuries to several workers.
My heartfelt condolences to…
Environment expert K. Karthikeyan recalled a similar ammonia leak that had happened at a seafood unit in Thoothukudi several years ago. As such factories are often located in remote locations, without access to a good emergency response centre, they must have an on-site emergency plan approved by the District Collector, he said.
As in the case of the Manali industrial area, where stacks are monitored by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, all units using hazardous chemicals should also have a monitoring system whereby the police, fire department, and the respective district administration are alerted in case of a leak for immediate action, he said.
Published - June 21, 2026 04:21 pm IST
Tamil Nadu / poisonous gases / accident (general)
Source: The Hindu - India News
