Chlorine Gas leak: All patients discharged from hospital

Puducherry, Jan 27 (PTI) All 393 people, includingchildren, who were admitted to hospital after being taken illfollowing leakage of chlorine gas from a nearby chemicalfactory here, have been discharged, hospital sources said.

While around 250 patients were discharged yesterday,the remaining patients, including children, were dischargedtoday. All are fine and there is no cause for worry," aspokesman of the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital andPG Institute said.

Residents of Pudhu Nagar, where the private factory islocated, and a few other villages had complained ofrespiratory problems, eye irritation and nausea after inhalingthe gas, following which they had been admitted to hospital.

Police said the chlorine leak from a cylinder storedin the factory early yesterday had been plugged.

District Collector G Ragesh Chandra had orderedclosure of the factory. The Inspectorate of Factories andPollution Control authorities would conduct an inquiry intothe incident.