Chennai, Dec 27 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Siva V Meyyanathan, stated on Wednesday that the state government has ordered a temporary shutdown of the Coromandel facility till further notice. The order comes in the wake of the ammonia gas leak that resulted in the hospitalisation of 14 workers.

The incident had taken place at the industrial unit near Periyakuppam in Ennore after ammonia gas leaked from an underwater supply pipeline.

The incident reported on Tuesday night had created a furore in the residential neighbourhood. Hundreds of people rushed out of their houses and complained of breathing difficulties, burning sensation in the eyes and face in Chinna Kuppam, Ernavur and Nettukuppam localities.

The authorities had rushed to the spot and evacuated the people who were willing to move out. Those who had taken sick were hospitalised at the Government Stanley Hospital and two were admitted to a private hospital.

During the pre-cooling process in the late hours of Tuesday, the Coromandel unit suffered a pressure drop in the pipeline and gas bubbles were seen coming out of the pipeline at about two feet from the shore.

Locals began complaining of a pungent odour at 11 p.m. from the area where the pipeline was passing.

Several families from the Periyakuppam fishing hamlet began evacuating temples, community halls, and public schools in a 10 km radius, sources stated.

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials' inspection at 3.30 am showed that the ammonia level in the air was 3 ppm, which equals 2090 microgram/m3 against 400 microgram/m3 on a 24 hour average.