Chennai: Two women workers died and 62 others were hospitalised after an ammonia gas leak from a seafood export unit at Kannigaipair near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district on Sunday morning.

According to the official sources the deceased were identified as Jumani Juang (19) and Malati (20) from Odisha. The condition of seven workers who were shifted to hospital is in critical condition. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered a probe by a high-level committee. He announced an exgratia of Rs. Two lakh each to the family members of the deceased.

Police registered a case and are questioning the unit’s owners. The workers, most of them young women aged 19-20 and hailing from Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam and West Bengal. They were off-duty and resting in their hostel rooms about 50m from the unit’s ammonia plant when the leak occurred around 11 am.

The NDRF team carried out rescue operations. They said the gas had spread to the workers’ accommodation, causing them breathing difficulties and discomfort. According to Health Minister K G Arunraj, one of the workers killed died on the way to the hospital. Of the 62 hospitalised, 58 are women and four are men.

After visiting the victims at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, speaking to the media persons Health Minister Arunraj said experts had reported a high level of ammonia, around 300 ppm, in the air at the plant. Workers had inhaled high levels of ammonia, causing swelling in their faces and respiratory tracts and affecting their lungs too, he added. The hospitals were fully equipped to treat the patients and their condition is closely being monitored. Among those affected, 10 were admitted to the RGGGH, seven at Stanley, 18 at Sri Venkateshwara Medical College Hospital and 24 at Vels Medical College Hospital.

Speaking to the media persons Tiruvallur Collector S Kavitha said that the firm, which owned the seafood export plant had the required licences and that a Government-appointed committee had begun an inquiry into the cause behind the leak. All workers have been shifted to a safe location. The affected are receiving treatment and a detailed investigation is under way, she added.

Periyapalayam police have filed a case under sections 105 (culpable homicide) and 125 (a) (endangering human life or safety) of the BNS. Two brothers who own the firm, Mohan and Joseph, have been taken into custody for inquiry, police sources said. The bodies of the two victims have been kept at the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for postmortem. CM Vijay had said measures would be taken to send the victims’ remains to their homes in Odisha for the final rites.