Chemical water floods homes after explosion in Coimbatore SIPCOT
The incident occurred at Loyal Super Fabrics, a textile and fabric wholesaler company operating within the industrial complex
Cuddalore's SIPCOT industrial estate received a massive blow early on Thursday (May 15) as an explosion rocked the effluent treatment plant (ETP) tank of a dyeing factory.
The blast resulted in chemical-laced water flooding nearby residential areas in the Kudikadu area.
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Chemical floods residences
The incident occurred at Loyal Super Fabrics, a textile and fabric wholesaler company operating within the industrial complex. The ETP tank, which normally has a storage capacity of six lakh litres, reportedly burst suddenly, causing the chemical-laced water to flood the streets of Kudikadu, poisoning several residents.
According to local residents, the poisonous water flooded over 50 houses, with many people still asleep. Over 20 residents experienced symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness and eye irritation, after coming into contact with the chemicals.
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They were rushed to the government hospital in Cuddalore for treatment. No one is in a critical condition at the moment, reports said.
Demand for permanent solution
Following the incident, several affected residents of the area staged a road blockade on the Cuddalore-Chidambaram highway, demanding immediate action on the factory management, and a permanent solution to prevent any such accidents from happening in the future.
Officials from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the local administration have begun investigations into the incident to determine the cause of the explosion and assess the environmental and health impacts that might occur in the near future.
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Similar accident in 2021
In 2021, a similar major accident occurred in Coimbatore's SIPCOT industrial estate located in Kudikadu, when a reactor vessel exploded at a pesticides manufacturing industry, resulting in the death of four people.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh for the families of the deceased and a compensation of Rs 1 lakh was to be given to the families of the 10 people who sustained critical injuries.
The public was dispersed from the area after a chemical reportedly caused eye irritation to many on the spot.