A major leak of dangerous petroleum gas at a chemical facility in India’s Palghar district on Monday prompted authorities to evacuate more than 2,600 people, including about 1,600 students, while three individuals reported mild eye irritation, officials said.
The release of olea (fuming sulfuric acid) affected areas within five kilometers of the power plant in the Boisar MIDC area on the outskirts of Mumbai, prompting precautionary evacuations, they added.
The incident occurred around 2:00 pm at a unit operated by Bhageria Industries Ltd, which created a thick white cloud that spread rapidly due to strong winds and caused alarm among residents and workers in the industrial area.
The cause of the gas leak was not immediately clear.
What did the administration say?
Indu Rani Jakhar, district collector of Palghar district, said she was personally overseeing the response and that the disaster management plan had been put into action without delay.
“The leak occurred from a 2,500-liter daily oleum tank. Due to wind direction, the smoke spread to surrounding areas and affected a radius of approximately 5 kilometers,” the administration said in a press release.
As a precautionary measure, the authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of 1,600 students from the Tarapur Vidyamandir local school. Besides, more than 1,000 workers from Bhageria Industries and neighboring firms have been shifted to safety, the agency said.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) and the fire brigade initially faced hurdles in reaching the unit where the gas had leaked.
“Due to the high concentration of smoke in the affected areas, emergency teams had difficulty in reaching the exact location of the leak,” the official report said.
Chemical experts and NDRF personnel eventually located the source and entered the compound using self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Rescue workers placed sandbags around the leaking tank to contain the fumes.
Officials said at least three people experienced minor eye irritation and were being treated at hospitals.
District Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh, who was present at the scene of the leak, urged residents not to panic and assured them that the authorities were taking all necessary steps to control the situation.
Collector Jakhar also urged the public to stay indoors and follow the guidelines issued by the administration. He emphasized that the situation is being closely monitored in coordination with all relevant departments and advised citizens not to pay attention to rumours.
