5 firemen in hospital after gas leak at civic filtration plant near Mumbai; 5 buildings evacuated

The incident took place at a civic water filtration plant in Bhayander; all injured out of danger

Five fire brigade personnel and four employees of Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) were admitted to hospital, and residents of five buildings near a civic filtration plant in Bhayander were evacuated on Friday, after chlorine gas leak was reported at a water tank used by the fire-fighting department.

The leak was reported at the MBMC’s water filtration plant in Kamala Park area in Bhayander.

The leak was reported after 11pm on Thursday at the MBMC’s water filtration plant in Kamala Park area — the 163kg cylinder contained around 100kg of chlorine gas when the leakage was detected.

“The firemen inhaled too much of the toxic gas when they tried to plug the leak with soap, as the gas discharge pressure was very high,” said Prakash Borade, chief fire officer, MBMC.

Five buildings in Kamala Park with nearly 200 families were evacuated after residents complained of nausea, vomiting and uneasiness following the gas leak,Borade said. “The night was breezy so the gas spread to the nearby localities.”

“We contacted the contractor and they were on the way to the plant, but we did not want to wait, so two fire brigade personnel wearing oxygen masks cut the supply of the cylinder. We then put the cylinder in a closed MBMC vehicle and threw it into Bhayander creek around 3am,” said Borade. “Once there was daylight, we inspected the creek to ensure that the cylinder was submerged properly.”

“We are investigating the cause of the leak,” he said. The Mumbai-based aqua filter contractor, who supplies the chlorine cylinder to the plant, is now under the scanner. The MBMC fire brigade has already submitted a report to the Bhayander police blaming the contractor for negligence.