Toxic fumes from Solan unit kill man

Blurb: 7 fall ill as chemical tank blows up at adhesive factory

Tribune News Service

Solan, April 16

A migrant worker was killed and several taken ill after a blast in a chemical tank at an adhesive unit led to release of noxious fumes at Dharampur village in Baddi industrial area around 1 am today.

Seven slum-dwellers, including a girl and four women, were taken ill and six of them were shifted to the PGI, Chandigarh, from where they were discharged after treatment. The factory was shut due to the lockdown.

Sources said the blast occurred in one of the three 200-kilolitre tanks containing vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) inside the Pidilite Industries plant.

The build-up of noxious gases inside the near-empty tank led to the blast, said Baddi SP Rohit Malpani. A probe was on to ascertain the gas released after the blast.

The slum-dwellers, most of whom were asleep at the time of the blast, felt difficulty in breathing as they ran to save their lives. Those living right next to the plant were affected the most. Three head of cattle died after inhaling the noxious fumes.

A case under Sections 336 (endangering human life) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC had been registered against the factory management, said the SP.

More than 75 slum-dwellers were evacuated to Government Senior Secondary School, Thana, and the slum was being detoxified by the firemen using water.

The deceased, Siraj Khan, belonged to Uttar Pradesh and was the sole breadwinner of the family, comprising a widowed mother, three sisters and three brothers.

His mother said the company security staff failed to alert the slum-dwellers by sounding the siren. The slum-dwellers had been staying there for the past 10 years and most were employed at the unit.