One dead, 18 hospitalised after chlorine gas leak near Mumbai

Palghar: A 59-year-old man died and 18 others, including five fire brigade personnel, were hospitalised after chlorine gas leaked from an old cylinder in Vasai town in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Tuesday, officials said.

The hospitalised persons also include a boy, two teenage girls and five women, they said.

The incident occurred around 3.30 pm during some ongoing work near a water tank close to the Diwanman crematorium, Resident Deputy Collector Subhash Bagde, who is also the CEO of the District Disaster Management Authority, said.

"A 10 to 15-year-old chlorine cylinder began leaking from its valve, releasing toxic fumes in the surrounding area. Fire brigade personnel from Suncity fire station immediately reached the spot and tried to plug the leak. But several of them suffered gas inhalation in the process," he said.

A total of 19 affected persons were rushed to three different hospitals, he added.

But despite efforts, Dev Kantilal Pardiwal, a resident who was exposed to the strong fumes, died at a hospital, Bagde said, adding that his wife Manisha (55) is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of another hospital.

Local fire station in-charge Vijay Rane (53), firemen Kalpesh Patil (41) and Kunal Patil (28), and drivers Pramod Patil (43) and Sachin More were also hospitalised. Of them, More was discharged later, he added.

Some of the other injured persons include Priya Rathod (14), Anish Solanki (15), Nazneem Dogaria (17), Anjali Rathod (19), Kantilal Mistry (75), Pushpa Mistry (72) and Shanta Solanki (62), officials said.

All of them are residents of the same locality and their condition is stable, he said.

Two other firemen - Swapnil Dhag and Pankaj Satvi - controlled the spread of the gas by continuously spraying and pouring water over the leaking cylinder before pushing it into a nearby pond, he said. Vasai town is located around 50 km from Mumbai.