Ammonia gas leakage in Goa's Vasco city; village evacuated, two hospitalised

Panaji: Hundreds of residents of a village in Goa's Vasco city were evacuated following ammonia gas leakage from a tanker that overturned in the wee hours of Friday.

According to initial reports, at least people have been rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Ammonia gas leakage in Goa's Vasco city on airport –Chicalim road, two people hospitalized pic.twitter.com/DhscApm1KY — ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2018

Two women have been rushed to a hospital and hundreds of residents in Chicalim village evacuated from their homes after a tanker carrying ammonia overturned on the nearby highway connecting Vasco City to Panaji.

The tanker was carrying ammonia from Mormugao Port Trust to Zuari Industries Limited, both located in Vasco.

The incident took place around 2.45 am when the tanker overturned at the highway and gas started leaking from it.

“The disaster response teams were sent to the site immediately while police and fire and emergency service personnel were asked to wake up the people and evacuate the entire area,” Deputy Collector Mahadev Arondekar was quoted as saying by PTI.

“Two women had to be shifted to a nearby hospital as they complained of breathlessness,” a senior district administration official said.

The official added that they were sleeping inside their house which is close to the accident spot.

Meanwhile, Vasco Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo said that the safety officer at Zuari Industries factory had been contacted after receiving the information about the leak.

“A rescue team was sent to the site to tackle the situation,” Raposo said.

The highway crossing through Chicalim village has been blocked and the traffic diverted through other roads. “We have stopped the motorists from using the road. Also, we have informed the public in the vicinity to evacuate and to cover their mouth with masks or wet clothes,” he said.

Nearly 300 houses are located in the area, a few kilometers from Goa’s Dabolim Airport, where the incident took place.

(With PTI inputs)