Bhubaneswar: Panic gripped Aiginia area under Khandagiri police limits after an ammonia leak was reported at a potato cold storage facility in the early hours of Thursday. Though the pungent gas triggered alarm among residents, officials confirmed that no casualties or injuries were reported.
According to reports, the leak was detected around 1 am when locals noticed a strong ammonia smell emanating from the cold storage unit. Several residents complained of a burning sensation in their eyes and breathing discomfort as the odour spread across the locality. Fearing a major mishap, they alerted the fire services and Khandagiri police.
Fire personnel from Tamando and Secretariat fire stations, along with a strike force team, rushed to the spot and evacuated residents living in close proximity to the facility as a precautionary measure.
After nearly three hours of intensive efforts, the leak was brought under control. Fire officials entered the premises in protective gear and traced the source of the leak to a faulty valve packing in the ammonia line. The team sprayed a fine mist to neutralise the gas and used water to contain its spread before sealing the leaking valve.
“We sprayed an atomised solution to neutralise the ammonia and used water to stabilise the situation. On inspection, we found leakage in the valve packing. It took around three hours to completely stop the leak. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the cause,” a fire official said.
Police officials said the situation was normalised by early morning and residents were allowed to return to their homes.
