18 workers fall sick after inhaling chlorine at a factory in Uttara Kannada

People gathered outside the factory where there was a chemical leakage, at Binaga in Karwar taluk of Uttara Kannada district.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Eighteen workers fell sick following a chlorine leak in a factory at Binaga in Karwar taluk of Uttara Kannada district on Saturday.

The incident occurred at the caustic soda production unit of Grasim Industries.

According to company officials, the leak occurred in the production unit because of a technical problem. The workers complained of burning eyes and breathlessness and they were immediately shifted out of the factory and hospitalised, they said.

According to them out of the 18 workers, hailing mostly from other States, four were treated at the health centre on the factory premises and 14 were taken to Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital.

In-charge health officer, Dr. Ramesh Rao, told presspersons that the workers fell sick after inhaling chlorine. All the patients were stable and they haven’t developed any major health complications, according to doctors.

The incident led to residents of Binaga village gathering in front of the factory premises and alleging negligence by the unit’s authorities.

They alleged that despite the death of a worker reportedly owing to chemical inhalation a few days, no corrective measures had been taken, they charged.

Ward members Prakash Naik, Rukmini Gouda, Shwetha Naik and others alleged that the factory authorities were not divulging clear details of the incident and the number of workers affected.