Nagpur, Aug 24:
At least 40 people, including workers and local residents, were hospitalised after a chlorine gas leak at a water treatment plant in Nagpur’s Godhni area early Monday. Four to five people were reportedly shifted to the ICU.
The leak occurred around midnight at the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran’s water treatment plant near Collector’s Colony. Around 8-10 plant workers and 20-25 residents complained of breathing difficulties following exposure to the gas.
Police, fire personnel and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched rescue and evacuation operations. Authorities cordoned off a 200-metre radius around the plant and evacuated nearby residents as a precaution.
The chlorine reportedly leaked from a cylinder with a capacity of about 900 kg. A technical probe has since been ordered, with the Nagpur Collector questioning why the cylinder was stored in an open area instead of a sealed facility.