Odisha brings back 62 migrant workers after Tamil Nadu gas leak

Of the returnees, 58 are from Keonjhar district while others belong to Koraput, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, and Dhenkanal

Published on: Jun 27, 2026, 19:33:03 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

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The Odisha government on Saturday brought back 62 Odia migrant workers from Tamil Nadu, a week after the ammonia gas leak at a private seafood processing unit in Tiruvallur district claimed 12 workers’ lives, even as five others remain on ventilator support across hospitals in Chennai.

Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathy said the evacuation was part of the government’s efforts to bring home workers. (PTI)

The workers arrived at Bhubaneswar railway station from Chennai with the state government making arrangements for food, drinking water, medical check-ups, rest and onward transportation.

Of the returnees, 58 are from Keonjhar district while others belong to Koraput, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, and Dhenkanal.

The evacuation follows the June 21 ammonia gas leak incident at the St Peter and Paul Sea Foods Exports Company in Tiruvallur district near Chennai.

Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathy said the evacuation was part of the government’s efforts to bring home workers.

Also Read: Several hospitalised after suspected ammonia gas leak in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur

“On Friday, 62 Odia migrant workers boarded a train from Chennai. They reached Bhubaneswar safely Saturday morning. All necessary arrangements, including food, drinking water, health check-ups and transport, had been made in advance,” Tripathy said.

Among those who returned are 35 women workers, all from Keonjhar district. The remaining 27 are men, including 23 from Keonjhar and one each from Koraput, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal. They have been transported to their native places in special buses arranged by the government.

According to Tripathy, 12 workers from Odisha have died so far, while five others remain in critical condition and are on ventilator support at Vels Hospital, Sri Venkateswara Hospital, Stanley Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai.

Tripathy said the Odisha Labour Department, in coordination with the Tamil Nadu government and the local district administration, is monitoring the condition of the injured workers daily.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Odisha government announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the family of each deceased worker.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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