17 fall ill after chlorine gas leak

Dehradun, August 18

Seventeen persons, including five children, were taken ill after chlorine gas leakage from a cylinder at a water works unit of Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, a senior police official said.

The police rushed to the spot immediately and threw the leaking cylinder into water to neutralise it, SP (City) Pradeep Kumar Rai told PTI.

People living in the water works area, including children, mostly sleeping at that hour, were taken to different hospitals in the city after they complained of difficulty in breathing and some of them especially children even fainted, the SP (City) said.  Altogether 17 persons were hospitalised of which eight were admitted to Mahanth Indresh Hospital, five to Max Hospital and four to CMI Hospital, the SP said.

However, all of them are out of danger with a majority already discharged from the hospitals, he said.

The managing director of Jan Sansthan said an inquiry was being conducted into the gas leak at the water works.

Residences of officials of the Jal Sansthan are located close to the water works at Dilaram Chawk. 

Probe panel formed after patients denied treatment 

A three-member committee headed by Dr Navin Baluni, Health Adviser to the CM, will probe into allegations that staff at Doon Government Medical College and Hospital denied treatment to patients who had been exposed to chlorine gas, which leaked at water works near Dila Ram Bazar.

Dr KK Tamta, CMS, Doon Government Medical College and Hospital issued show-cause notices to the Emergency Officer, a nurse and a pharmacist for dereliction of duty. “I am surprised by the attitude of the staff on duty, the entire hospital has centralised oxygen supply and two separate dengue and H1N1 wards have been set up, which were empty at that time. The patients could have been kept here. I do not buy the contention of the doctor,” Tamta told the Tribune.Later, a team of senior doctors, including Health Adviser Dr Navin Baluni visited the hospital following which the probe was recommended.A total of 10 patients were taken to Doon Government Medical College and Hospital, but the Emergency Medical Officer on duty refused to treat the patients stating lack of adequate beds with oxygen supply. These patients were then admitted to CMI and Indresh Hospital, which are private hospitals.Three children were still undergoing treatment this morning. — PTI/TNS

Kids sleeping at the time of incident

People living in the water works area, including children, mostly sleeping at that hour, were taken to different hospitals in the city after they complained of difficulty in breathing and some of them especially children even fainted, the SP (City) said.  Altogether 17 persons were hospitalised of which eight were admitted to Mahanth Indresh Hospital, five to Max Hospital and four to CMI Hospital, the SP said. All of them are out of danger with a majority already discharged from the hospitals, he said.