Chlorine gas leakage reported in Uttarakhand's Dehradun; locals evacuated

Sources said that chlorine gas leakage was reported in a vacant plot in Jhanjra area of Dehradun under Prem Nagar police station limits of Dehradun after which a team of rescuers was rushed to the spot. Police have started an investigation into the incident while the locals have been evacuated to safer places.

Dehradun: Authorities in Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand on Tuesday evacuated locals in Jhanjra area after a leakage in chlorine cylinders caused suffocation among the residents, sources said. Sources said that an incident of leakage in two chlorine cylinders was reported in a vacant plot in Jhanjra area of Dehradun under Prem Nagar police station limits on Monday night. Due to the gas leakage from the cylinder, locals complained of difficulty in breathing causing panic among them, sources said.

As soon as the local administration received the information about the gas leakage, a team of officials comprising the local police NDRF, SDRF and fire brigade team reached the spot and started a rescue operation to evacuate locals from the area. Confirming the incident, Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh said that people have been sent to safe places by the local administration in a bid to save lives. In the meantime, police have launched an investigation into the cause of the gas leakage, the SSP said.

He said that necessary precautionary steps are being taken to prevent such incidents in future. This is a developing story and further details into the incident are awaited. There have been no casualties reported in the incident at the time this report was filed. On receiving information about the incident, SSP Ajay Singh also reached the spot and took stock of the relief and rescue operations. The SSP gave necessary directions to the officers at the spot.

Sources said that CBRN teams have launched investigating the incident. Experts said that chlorine gas is not considered fatal for humans as such. But the gas can cause difficulty in breathing. Also, leakage of this gas definitely causes problems like burning sensation in eyes and vomiting.