Seven Dead after Ammonia Gas Leak at Kannigaipair Seafood Export Unit

Seven migrant workers died and dozens were hospitalized following an ammonia gas leak at a private seafood export facility in Kannigaipair, near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district, on Sunday, June 21, 2026.

The leak occurred at the premises of St. Peter’s Paul Seafoods Exports Private Limited, where about 120 migrant workers were staying in on-site accommodation. Because Sunday was the unit’s weekly holiday, many workers, predominantly women from Assam, Odisha, and Jharkhand, were inside their quarters when the gas spread.

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

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

At a nearby private hospital, 44 patients were admitted, including 43 young women and one man. Medical staff reported that 15 to 16 patients had been intubated, with 11 placed on ventilator support. Police sources confirmed that seven workers died following the leak, while nine others remained in critical condition.

Personnel from the Periyapalayam police station, Fire and Rescue Services, the Revenue Department, and the Health Department rushed to the scene to carry out rescue operations. At the request of the district administration, a specialized 30-member Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear response team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 4th Battalion in Arakkonam was deployed to secure the area and assess the leak.

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 ordered to submit an interim report within 24 hours and a final report in three days.

IT Minister R Kumar, the district in-charge minister for Tiruvallur, was directed to visit the spot with monitoring officer K P Karthikeyan to coordinate care for the affected workers. The Periyapalayam police have registered a case, and an investigation is underway.