29 Sep 2008
Express News Service
SALEM: Five persons were admitted in Mettur GH following a gas leak at plant one of the Chemplast Sanmar Limited at Mettur on Sunday. Residents in the two km area surrounding the factory site were reportedly affected.
According to eyewitnesses, a white smoke started emanating from the plant at 5 pm on Sunday. The smoke rose to 100 feet and spread to a two km radius. People complained of throat irritation, breathlessness, cough and nausea.
Lisa Monisha of NSA Nagar told this website’s newspaper that she experienced throat irritation and breathlessness, after inhaling the gas at the market place.
She was given buttermilk and sent to a hospital.
According to Mettur GH sources, five persons were admitted in the hospital. Some others were admitted in private hospitals too.
On getting information, the Fire Brigade Police and revenue officials conducted investigations in the plant. The factory’s maintenance department also conducted a through check on the pipelines.
“There was a leak and the gas entering the pipeline for filling suffered a breach. But it was sealed immediately. No one in the factory was affected. The plant will run normally soon,” said a top company official.
Meanwhile, vice president of Chemplast Sanmar Hariharaputran alleged that a group opposed to the company’s interests have instigated some of their supporters to get themselves admitted in hospitals.