About 60 hospitalised in India after ammonia leak at fertiliser plant (updated)

Coromandel International

27/12/2023 11:53

(Updates hospitalisation number, changes source in lead and
third paragraph, adds details about another explosion in
paragraph 10)
    By Praveen Paramasivam and Nandan Mandayam
       CHENNAI/BENGALURU, Dec 27 (Reuters) - 
    About 60 people have been hospitalised after an ammonia leak
from a pipeline belonging to India's Coromandel International
 CORF.NS  near its Ennore plant in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the
government said. 
    The people were hospitalised after they had difficulty in
breathing and a burning sensation in the eyes, and 52 people are
still under observation, the government said in a statement. 
    The leak took place when Coromandel's fertiliser
manufacturing unit was preparing to receive an ammonia shipment
through its 2.5 kilometre-long (1.5 mile) undersea pipeline.
    "The unit observed pressure drop in the pipeline at around
11.45 pm and simultaneously observed pungent odour around the
storage terminal and near the material gate," the statement
said.
    "They will identify the exact location and the extent of
pipeline damage within a day and will rectify the same before
commencing the ammonia transfer."
    Coromandel's shares dropped as much as 3.7% on Wednesday,
before closing 1.6% lower.
    "All are safe and normalcy is restored. We have informed
relevant authorities about the incident," Coromandel said in an
exchange filing earlier in the day.    
    The incident comes weeks after an oil spill in the same area
from a refinery belonging to Indian Oil-owned  IOC.NS  Chennai
Petroleum Corp  CHPC.NS  during Cyclone Michaung.
    Separately, one worker was killed and another was injured in
an explosion at state-run refiner Indian Oil Corp's (IOC)
 IOC.NS  plant in Chennai on Wednesday. 

 (Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru and Praveen
Paramasivam in Chennai; Editing by Sohini Goswami and Devika
Syamnath)
 ((Nandan.Mandayam@thomsonreuters.com; Mobile: +91 9591011727;))