Over 40 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser unit in India's Tamil Nadu

Coromandel International

27/12/2023 10:38

By Praveen Paramasivam and Nandan Mandayam
       CHENNAI/BENGALURU, Dec 27 (Reuters) - At least 44 people
were hospitalised after an ammonia leak from a pipeline
belonging to Coromandel International  CORF.NS  near its Ennore
plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, hospital
sources said on Wednesday.
    "We noticed abnormality on Dec. 26 at 11:30 p.m. local time
(1800 GMT) in the ammonia unloading subsea pipeline near
shoreside, outside the plant premises," Coromandel said in an
exchange filing earlier in the day.
    Forty-four people were rushed to Akash Hospital in Chennai,
two hospital officials told Reuters, on condition of anonymity,
as they were not authorised to talk to the media.  
    Six others were admitted to Stanley Medical College and
Hospital near Ennore, local media reported earlier, quoting
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian.
    The Tamil Nadu government said in a statement that 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
read.
    "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."
    "All are safe and normalcy is restored. We have informed
relevant authorities about the incident," Coromandel added.
    Coromandel's shares dropped as much as 3.7% on Wednesday,
before closing 1.6% lower.
    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.

    

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