Nagpur: A 19-year-old boy is critical with severe respiratory distress after inhaling toxic chlorine gas that leaked from a tank at the water treatment plant at Collector’s Colony in Godhani early Monday. The boy was initially admitted to ICU at IGGMCH before being shifted to KIMS-Kingsway for advanced critical care treatment. He remains on a ventilator and other supportive treatment, officials said.District officials said seven more residents required ICU admissions in private hospitals, including three at Max Healthcare. The three at Max include a 60-year-old cancer patient who too is on ventilator support. Two boys, aged 2 and 3, were admitted to IGGMCH NICU and put on ventilator support. The ventilator was removed as their condition became stable.The bulk of patients were admitted to IGGMCH (15), Max (13 adults and one infant), Sparsh (13) and Alright (11). Three more patients were admitted to other hospitals. Of the 56 hospitalised persons, 11 were discharged later in the day. Officials at hospitals said the remaining patients who are stable are in general wards and would remain under observation for a day.Speaking to TOI at IGGMCH, patients recalled the midnight horror while some of them were either asleep or were preparing to return to bed. Prashant Laxame (42), who runs a salon, said they came out of their homes when the smell became intolerable. “We were all asleep. Soon, we realized this was an emergency and evacuated our family from the area,” he said.The toxic gas exposure left their vehicles, smartphones, utensils and other household articles damaged. “My phone stopped working while a black layer gripped everything in the house,” he said.Laxame’s neighbour Arif Khan said his bike wasn’t starting when he tried to flee. “I live just 10 metres away from the plant,” he said.There were some who fell ill after the rescue act. Mrunal Ukey, who lives close to the affected locality, responded to an SOS call by his friend Ujjwal Manohar. The Manohar family’s pet Labrador perished in the incident. Ujjwal was working the night shift when he received a call from home. “I asked Mrunal to check what happened to my mother,” he said.Mrunal said he went to evacuate Ujjwal’s mother, but fell unconscious after inhaling the gas. Mrunal required oxygen support at IGGMCH.Though the news of the gas leak went viral and a foul stench reeked through the air, people went about their chores as usual on Godhani main road early in the morning.
