Mumbai, July 14: An antiquated cylinder containing highly poisonous chlorine gas started leaking at a Sewree warehouse in the early hours of Wednesday, affecting around 126 people in the vicinity. All 126 have had to be hospitalised.
A cylinder full of chlorine gas stored in a warehouse of the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) started leaking at around 3 am Wednesday. The cylinder is one of 105 that have been lying at the warehouse for the last 13 years.
The first victims were MbPT staff and Mathadi Kamgar, who were working in the Hay Bandar premises of the MbPT, from where the gas started leaking. Fire brigade officers who rushed to the spot were also affected. Students of the adjacent maritime colleges were evacuated by rescue teams.
There were 105 cylinders in the warehouse of which five were filled with chlorine gas. The other 100 were empty. One of these started leaking around 3 am on Wednesday.
They have been lying there since 1994.