Uttarakhand: Chlorine gas cylinder leaks near pump house in Nainital, 3 hospitalised

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Three people were hospitalised after chlorine gas leaked from a cylinder near Sukhatal Pump House in Uttarakhand's Nainital on Thursday, officials said. A team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, administration and doctors reached the spot and started evacuating people from their homes, they said.

The chlorine gas leaked from a cylinder kept in the Jal Sansthan, they said. Chlorine is a poisonous gas which causes difficulty in breathing as well as vomiting and nausea. Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh said there was a leak from a 50 kg cylinder of chlorine gas, due to which 100 people living in 25-30 houses nearby had to be taken away from there.

He said that three people have been admitted to BD Pandey District Hospital due to complaints of vomiting due to gas leakage. The affected residents told that since afternoon people were complaining about a foul smell and by evening it became unbearable after which the officials were informed.

An official of Jal Sansthan told that at 8 pm late evening the chlorine gas cylinder was buried under Sukhatal lake due to which the situation has come under control. Executive Engineer of Jal Sansthan Ramesh Garbyal said now there is no danger of gas leakage from the cylinder. The cylinder was kept in the pump house to filter the water, he said. Police are investigating the matter.

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