Uttarakhand: Chlorine Gas Leak In Nainital Leads To Evacuation, 3 Hospitalised

Chlorine gas leaked from a cylinder near Sukhatal Pump House in Uttarakhand's Nainital, causing at least three people to be hospitalised. The leak from a 50 kg cylinder stored at Jal Sansthan, led to the evacuation of about 100 people from nearby homes. The situation was brought under control when the cylinder was buried under Sukhtal Lake.

Nainital: A chlorine gas leak from a cylinder at the Sukhatal Pump House in Nainital on Thursday led to a significant emergency response and the hospitalisation of three individuals. The incident occurred around midday when a 50-kilogram chlorine cylinder, used for water filtration at the Jal Sansthan pump house, began leaking, causing widespread concern and health issues in the area.

According to officials, the gas leas prompted an immediate and coordinated response from various emergency services, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police, administration and medical teams.

By late evening, the leak had become severe, with the foul smell of chlorine becoming unbearable for residents, who then reported the situation to authorities.

Nainital District Magistrate Varuna Goyal confirmed that approximately 100 residents from 25 to 30 nearby houses were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Three individuals were admitted to BD Pandey District Hospital after showing symptoms of vomiting and nausea caused by the chlorine exposure. An additional three people were treated at the scene.

Efforts to contain the situation included the rapid deployment of fire and police personnel to manage the evacuation and mitigate further exposure.

The chlorine gas cylinder was eventually buried under Sukhatal Lake around 8 pm, a method chosen to neutralise the gas. fire officer Kishore Upadhyay noted that the chemical reaction with baking soda had been employed to safely dispose of the gas.

Executive Engineer of Jal Sansthan, Ramesh Garbyal reported that there is no ongoing danger from the cylinder, and the area has been secured. The cause of the leak is still under investigation.

SDM Pramod Kumar, who led the evacuation efforts, assured that the situation was under control and that measures were in place to ensure the safety of the affected residents.

Currently, the situation in the area is considered normal, and authorities continue to monitor the health of those affected and the integrity of the site.