20240721 31 women hospitalised after fire at fish plant
India Jul 21 2024 “Factories”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured more than 10
31 women hospitalised after fire at fish plant
Updated: 2024-07-21
Tuticorin: As many as 31 women workers were hospitalized after inhaling smoke caused by a fire at a seafood processing unit in Tuticorin on Friday night. Officials said around 500 workers are employed at the private unit at Pudur Pandiyapuram which processes and exports fish. Around 11.30 pm, a fire broke out reportedly due to an electrical short circuit and smoke began to spread inside the plant.
As many as 31 women, including 16 guest workers from Odisha and two from Assam, had breathing difficulties and eye irritation with some even fainting after inhaling the smoke. They were immediately admitted to private hospitals in Tuticorin. Fire and rescue services personnel put out the blaze by 2am.
Though an ammonia gas leak was suspected initially, officials denied it. “The fire was caused by an electrical leak which created a big column of smoke. Women workers who were having dinner were alarmed as the smoke spread till the restroom and they began to run. Some fell down and got hurt while some inhaled the smoke. All workers exposed to the smoke were taken to private hospitals,” said an official. He added that five fire tenders brought the fire and smoke under control.
Work at the seafood processing unit was suspended on the instructions of district collector G Lakshmipathy. On Saturday evening, labour welfare minister C V Ganesan along with ministers Anitha Radhakrishnan and Geetha Jeevan visited the hospitalised women.
Ganesan told reporters that out of the 31 women hospitalised, eight have been discharged while 23 under treatment were stable and were likely to be discharged soon. “The seafood processing unit is functioning legally and there are no violations. There is no evidence of any ammonia gas leak. The fire appears to have been caused by friction between two electrical wires which then led to a short circuit. However, the labour welfare department will be carrying out a thorough probe and submitting a report. Action will be taken based on it as required,” he added.
Web Source The Times of India