Incident Overview
Early Thursday morning, a chemical-laced wastewater tank collapsed at Loyal Super Fabrics, a dyeing factory in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district. The tank, holding over 600,000 litres of residual water intended for sea discharge, gave way suddenly around 2:45 am. This caused toxic water to flood nearby homes, leading to 29 residents being hospitalized due to inhaling harmful fumes.
Impact on Residents
Many people were asleep when the contaminated water flooded residential areas. They woke up in panic, experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, fainting, and eye irritation. All 29 affected individuals received treatment at the Government Hospital in Cuddalore.
Clarification and Investigation
Initial reports of an explosion were later corrected by Cuddalore Police, confirming there was no blast but a structural failure of the tank. A technical team is investigating the cause, with overheating suspected as a possible reason for the collapse.
Recent Related Incidents
- On February 5, a firecracker factory explosion in Virudhunagar district killed one person and injured seven others. The blast occurred at Sathyaprabha firecracker manufacturing unit during the preparation of fancy crackers.
- On February 25, three women died in a firecracker storage unit explosion in Dharmapuri district. The storage was located in a residential area, causing major safety concerns and protests by villagers demanding justice.
Summary
This gas leak incident at the Cuddalore factory highlights ongoing safety challenges in chemical and firecracker manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu, emphasizing the need for strict safety measures and regulations to protect local communities.
