Tiruvallur: An ammonia gas leak was reported on June 21, Sunday at the St Peter’s Paul Seafoods Exports facility located in Kannigaipair near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu. According to the preliminary reports, atleast two people have died and more than 65 people are affected with severe injury and are hospitalised in a nearby private hospital. Few among them are in critical condition and were shifted to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai.
Apparently, today was a weekly holiday for the industrial unit as it is a Sunday. However, according to police sources, around 120 migrant workers, including women from Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand, were staying on the factory premises, where accommodations had been provided by the company within the campus.
The ammonia leak reportedly originated from the seafood processing unit and spread across the premises. Many people initially complained of breathing difficulties, while a few suffered bleeding from the mouth and nose.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: An ammonia gas leak was reported today at the St. Peter's Paul Seafoods Exports facility located in Kannigaipair near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 4th Battalion headquarters in Arakkonam was immediately alerted… pic.twitter.com/ojoBZ9qyu3
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2026
Chief Minister Vijay orders probe and forms Committe of Inquiry
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and directed officials to take strict action against those responsible. Authorities said an FIR has been registered in connection with the incident and two owners of the company have been taken into custody for interrogation as investigations continue into the cause of the leak.
CM Vijay has instructed to form a Committee to enquire into the Ammonia Gas Leak incident. A 3 member committee with Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Member Secretary, Pollution Control Board and Additional Director of Public Health has been formed to submit an interim report in 24 hours and final report in 3 days.
CM had instructed IT Minister /Tiruvallur Monitoring Minister to rush to Tiruvallur along with the Monitoring Officer Dr.K.P. Karthikeyan, IAS to give the best possible care to the affected in coordination with District Collector and district administration.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has instructed to form a Committee to enquire into the Ammonia Gas Leak incident. A 3 member committee with Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Member Secretary, Pollution Control Board and Additional Director of Public Health has…
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2026
NDRF battalion deployed for emergency respone operations
Following information received from the Tiruvallur District Collector’s office, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 4th Battalion’s headquarters in Arakkonam was immediately alerted about the emergency.
Based on the request from the district administration and under the directions of Senior Commandant Akhilesh Kumar of the NDRF 4th Battalion, a specialised Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) response team was swiftly deployed to the affected site.
The rescue team, comprising 30 NDRF personnel from Chennai, reached the location equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), gas detection devices and specialised CBRN rescue equipment to carry out emergency response operations.
The team is currently engaged in evacuating affected individuals to safe locations, isolating the hazardous zone, assessing the impact of the gas leak and coordinating with the district administration to ensure public safety and prevent further risks. Rescue and mitigation efforts are continuing at the site.
(With Inputs from ANI)
