7 killed in ammonia leak at India factory

NEW DELHI:

An ammonia gas leak at a private seafood processing unit in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Sunday killed seven workers and hospitalised more than 70 others, officials said.

The incident occurred as a result of an ammonia gas leak at a seafood factory in the Tiruvallur district, said a statement posted on X by the state's Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

Seven factory workers were killed in the incident, with over 70 others admitted to the hospital, public broadcaster All India Radio reported.

The country's National Disaster Response Force, along with specialised chemical, biological, and nuclear response teams, launched an "immediate rescue operation and worked to contain the leak under strict safety protocols", it said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply saddened" to learn about the accident.

"I convey my deepest condolences to those

who have lost their loved ones in this incident," Modi's office wrote on X