Bhubaneswar: Odisha Labour & Employees’ State Insurance Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia on Monday said that the state government is making efforts to bring back the mortal remains of five women workers from Keonjhar district who died in an ammonia gas leak at a private fish meal export factory in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district.
The incident occurred on Sunday (June 21) at a factory in the Kannigaipair–Manjangaranai area near Periyapalayam.
The Minister said that 33 workers from Odisha were working at the factory when the gas leak took place. He added that five women workers from Keonjhar were among those who died in the mishap.
Describing the incident as tragic, Singhkhuntia said that three senior officials from the Labour & Employees’ State Insurance Department have been rushed to the spot to coordinate relief and rescue operations. He said arrangements are being made to complete post-mortem formalities and bring back the mortal remains to Odisha at the earliest.
He further said that the state government is in constant touch with the Tamil Nadu administration to ensure proper treatment of affected workers and smooth coordination of all procedures related to the incident.
Appealing to migrant workers, the Minister urged them to register under the Labour & Employees’ State Insurance Department before travelling outside the state for employment. He said such registrations are also being carried out at the panchayat level to ensure better tracking and assistance.
In the wake of the tragedy, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased worker.
An official statement said that Chief Secretary Anu Garg held discussions with her Tamil Nadu counterpart on Sunday regarding the incident and ongoing response measures.
