The New Indian Express ·
Chlorine gas leak from sewage plant triggers panic in Meerut
MEERUT: Some people were taken ill after a chlorine gas leak from a sewage treatment plant here, officials said on Wednesday.
The leak occurred near Akanksha Ambience Colony in Pallavpuram Phase-2 on Tuesday, prompting residents to rush outside with children and elderly family members.
A fire tender and police team reached the spot after being alerted.
Police used loudspeakers to advise residents to cover their faces with masks or handkerchiefs and remain indoors.
Some people also fell ill after being exposed to the gas and were admitted to hospital, officials said, without elaborating.
Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Gangwar said the leak was caused by a faulty valve on a chlorine cylinder installed at the treatment plant.
Teams from the municipal waterworks department and Dauraula Organic reached the site, inspected the plant and stopped the leak, he said.
"The situation was brought under control in some time," Gangwar said, adding that officials were monitoring the area.
Amidst the pungent smell of the gas, some families locked up their houses and left for safer places, returning only at night. Some others chose to stay back at their relatives' homes for the whole night, they added.
