Ammonia gas had leaked into the rooms of migrant workers, who were resting in accommodation the industrial unit had provided on-site. The leak of hazardous gas meant the fatalities were bound to keep rising as choked lungs gave way despite intensive care in hospitals in the suburbs and in the city of Chennai
As another tragic mishap took place in a seafood processing unit in Tamil Nadu on a Sunday when the plant was not even in operation, post-event analysis showed that several safety protocols were not being observed at the plant despite notices being served after inspection.
Ammonia gas had leaked into the rooms of migrant workers, who were resting in accommodation the industrial unit had provided on-site. The leak of hazardous gas meant the fatalities were bound to keep rising as choked lungs gave way despite intensive care in hospitals in the suburbs and in the city of Chennai.
The new government led by actor-turned-politician Vijay acted with alacrity in ordering a time-bound probe by officials after sending in disaster management teams to the site and medical experts to several private hospitals to assist with treatment.
It is, however, a different matter that safety protocols are invariably ignored even in a highly industrialised state like Tamil Nadu. For instance, there was neither a suitable alarm system nor a working fire hydrant among several other deficiencies.
Another facet of the tragedy in which the fatalities are still being counted by various agencies, including the police, is that all victims were workers from Odisha. The facile conclusion is that locals do not take such jobs that may not offer reasonable wages considering the nature of the work and associated hazards.
Every tragedy is a comment on how careless establishments can be when it comes to worker safety. Routine announcements by governments on compensation for the families of the dead and for the injured follow a set procedure.
But the solatium may be too meagre for a a life lost because of carelessness on the part of an employer and the failure of authorities to enforce safety standards and response systems in the event of emergencies. It is a pity that life in populous India is valued so little.
