Around 2,600 people were evacuated after panic gripped the residents of Palghar in Maharashtra following a massive leak of hazardous oleum gas at a chemical unit in the district on Monday.
The impact of the gas leak was so severe that residents living within a three to four-kilometre radius are experiencing symptoms such as eye irritation, coughing, and difficulty breathing, ANI reported.
Officials later said there was no possibility of life-threatening situation and clarified that the concerned authorities have covered almost 90 to 95 per cent of the spillage at the spot.
The oleum (fuming sulphuric acid) gas leak affected areas in a five-kilometre radius of the unit in the Boisar MIDC locality on Mumbai’s outskirts and led to the evacuation as a precautionary measure, they said.
What happened in Palghar
The leak, which occurred around 2 pm at the unit of Bhageria Industries Ltd, created a dense cloud of white fumes that spread rapidly due to wind velocity, causing panic among residents and workers in the industrial belt. The cause of the gas leak was not immediately known.
Palghar District Collector Dr Indu Rani Jakhar said the disaster management plan was activated immediately. “The leakage occurred from a 2,500-litre capacity oleum day tank. Due to the wind direction, the smoke spread to surrounding areas, impacting a radius of approximately 5 kilometres,” the administration stated in a press release.
Indu appealed to people to stay indoors and follow the instructions given by the administration. “The situation is being constantly monitored in coordination with all departments concerned. Citizens should not believe in rumours,” the collector emphasised.
What measures were taken for safety
As a precautionary measure, the authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of 1,600 students from Tarapur Vidyamandir, a local school. Additionally, more than 1,000 workers from Bhageria Industries and neighbouring firms were moved to safety, it informed.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and the Fire Brigade initially faced hurdles in reaching the unit where the gas leak occurred. “Due to the high smoke concentration in affected areas, response teams were facing difficulties in reaching the exact location of the leak,” the official release noted.
Chemical experts and NDRF personnel eventually located the source and entered the premises using self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). To suppress the fumes, responders have deployed sandbags around the leaking tank, it said.
At least three persons were reported to have suffered minor eye irritation and are receiving medical treatment at hospitals, according to the officials. District Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh, who was at the leakage site, asked the villagers not to panic as authorities were taking all possible measures to deal with the situation.
Was the leak life-threatening
The SP Palghar clarified that the concerned authorities have covered almost 90 to 95 per cent of the spillage at the spot. “There is nothing like a life-threatening (situation) at the leakage spot right now. Also, we have covered almost 90 to 95 per cent of the spillage at the spot,” SP Deshmukh told news agency ANI.
What is oleum
Oleum is a cloudy, grey, fuming liquid with a sharp odour. It is extremely corrosive, causing severe skin burns, eye damage, and severe damage to the lungs if inhaled. It is used in the production of sulfuric acid, explosives, fertilisers, detergents, and in oil refining. Unlike concentrated sulfuric acid, it is highly volatile, releasing sulfur trioxide gas.
