Bhubaneswar: Sixty-two Odia migrant workers stranded in Chennai after the deadly ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing unit in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district returned safely to Odisha on Saturday, with the state government facilitating their journey and arranging transport to their native villages.
The workers left Chennai Railway Station at 10 a.m. on Friday and arrived at Bhubaneswar Railway Station at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday. The Odisha Labour Commissioner shared details of their safe return on the social media platform X.
The evacuation came in the wake of the June 21 (Sunday) ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing and export facility in Tiruvallur district, which claimed the lives of several Odia migrant workers and left many others injured. The tragedy has raised concerns over the safety and working conditions of migrant labourers employed in industrial units outside the state.
Meanwhile, the death toll among Odia workers in the incident has risen to 12 after a woman from Angul district succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment on Friday.
The Odisha Labour Department received the workers at Bhubaneswar Railway Station and arranged buses to ferry them to their respective villages across the state. The government said all necessary assistance was extended to ensure the workers returned home safely.
The state government has been coordinating with the Tamil Nadu administration since the accident, overseeing relief measures, treatment of the injured, and the repatriation of affected workers.
