Tiruvallur Seafood Unit Sealed After Ammonia Leak That Killed 18 Workers

A seafood processing unit in Kannigaipair, a village in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, was officially sealed by district authorities after a deadly ammonia gas leak on June 21 killed 18 workers. The unit, run by St. Peter and Paul Pvt. Ltd., processed frozen seafood such as cuttlefish, prawns, squid, and tuna using ammonia-based cooling systems, which are common in cold storage facilities but can turn dangerous if the gas leaks.

Before sealing the premises, officials first had to safely remove all remaining ammonia from the unit. This delicate operation began early on a Saturday morning and was completed by Tuesday evening, according to Tiruvallur Collector S. Kavitha. She noted that multiple government departments coordinated closely to ensure the gas removal happened without any further accidents.

Once the site was declared safe, a team led by Revenue Division Officer S. Ravichandran carried out the sealing process. The officer explained that the unit's gate would be locked the following day, once the compound was cleared of waste material left behind.

The human toll of the disaster remains significant. While 18 workers lost their lives, eight others were still receiving hospital treatment at the time of the sealing. Meanwhile, 170 workers who were not injured in the leak have been sent back to their home states of Odisha, Assam, and Jharkhand. The district administration arranged their travel tickets and coordinated with officials from their native districts to ensure safe passage home.

Authorities also ensured these workers received their pending wages, with salaries up to June 18 transferred directly into their bank accounts. To support those who might want to return for employment later, officials have linked them with manpower agencies operating in the district.

Separately, Central Food Safety officials addressed the large quantity of seafood stored at the facility. Around 620 tonnes of frozen cuttlefish, prawns, squid, and tuna were seized and relocated to two private cold storage units, with samples taken for testing. An additional 80 tonnes of seafood found to be contaminated were sent to a private methane plant, where they were processed into sustainable energy rather than being wasted.

This incident highlights serious concerns about industrial safety standards in seafood processing facilities, particularly regarding the handling of hazardous chemicals like ammonia. The scale of the response, involving multiple government departments, food safety officials, and inter-state coordination, reflects the severity of the disaster and its wide-ranging impact on both worker safety and public health.