More than 25 women faint from ammonia leak at Tamil Nadu fish processing plant

A serious incident occurred at a private fish processing plant in Thoothukudi on Friday when an ammonia gas leak led to the fainting of 29 women. The affected include five women from Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, and 16 female workers from Odisha.

The incident took place at a fish processing and exporting facility in Pudoor Pandiya Puram, Thoothukudi, where over 500 women from Tamil Nadu and other states are employed. According to reports, an ammonia gas cylinder exploded due to an electrical accident, causing the gas to spread throughout the plant. This resulted in suffocation, eye irritation, and fainting among the workers.

The affected employees were rushed to two private hospitals in Thoothukudi—AVM Hospital, Rajesh Tilak Hospital, and Arulraj Hospital—by company vehicles and ambulances. The Thalamuthu Nagar police are currently investigating the incident, and further details are awaited.


This is not the first ammonia leak incident in Tamil Nadu. In December of the previous year, the state government temporarily shut down Coromandel International Limited in Ennore following a similar leak from a fertiliser manufacturing facility.

The leak, detected in a subsea pipe, caused a strong odour and health issues for five individuals, who were subsequently treated at a health facility.


The Tamil Nadu Environment and Forest Department confirmed that the leak was addressed promptly, and emergency measures were taken to manage the situation, including arranging ambulances and public transport.