7 women killed in ammonia leak at Tamil Nadu seafood factory

3 min readUpdated: Jun 21, 2026 05:39 PM IST

A total of 67 affected workers were rushed to local medical centres immediately, Thiruvallur District Collector S Kavitha said. (PTI screengrab/Enhanced with AI)

Seven migrant workers died and more than 40 were hospitalised after an ammonia gas leak at a private seafood export unit near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, officials and police sources said.

The leak occurred at St Peter’s Paul Seafoods Exports Private Limited at Kannigaipair, near Periyapalayam, where about 120 migrant workers, mostly women labourers from Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand, were staying on the factory premises. The company had provided accommodation for the workers within the campus. Sunday was the unit’s weekly holiday, and many workers were inside their accommodation when the gas spread through the premises.

According to police sources, the ammonia leak originated from the seafood processing unit and quickly affected the residential area inside the campus. Many workers complained of breathing difficulties, while some suffered bleeding from the mouth and nose.

Tiruvallur District Collector S Kavitha said 67 affected workers were rushed to local medical centres immediately after the incident. Of them, 46 were admitted to Vels Hospital and 21 to Venkateshwara Hospital. Nine critically ill patients were later moved by 108 ambulances to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai for advanced treatment.

#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

Police said about 44 patients had been admitted to a nearby private hospital, including 43 young women and one man. The doctor said 15 to 16 patients had been intubated and 11 were on ventilator support. The doctor also dismissed initial rumours of multiple deaths at that facility, saying no deaths had occurred there.

Police sources said seven workers had died after the leak, while nine others remained critical.

Rescue services

Personnel from the Periyapalayam police station, Fire and Rescue Services, the Revenue Department, and the Health Department rushed to the spot and carried out rescue operations.

Following a request from the district administration, the National Disaster Response Force deployed a specialised Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear response team from its 4th Battalion in Arakkonam. A 30-member team equipped with gas detection devices, personal protective equipment and specialised rescue gear was sent to assess the impact of the leak, secure the area and assist rescue efforts.

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Probe panel set up

Chief Minister Vijay instructed the constitution of an inquiry committee comprising the Director of Industrial Safety and Health, the Pollution Control Board Member-Secretary and the Additional Director of Public Health. The committee has been asked to submit an interim report within 24 hours and a final report in three days.

The Chief Minister also directed IT Minister R Kumar, the district in-charge minister for Tiruvallur, to visit the spot with monitoring officer K P Karthikeyan and coordinate care for the affected workers with the Collector and district administration.

Periyapalayam police have registered a case. Further investigation is underway.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.

Expertise

Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.

Key Coverage Areas:

State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.

Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.

Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.

Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.

His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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