A total of 26 individuals, including two fire brigade officials, were hospitalised after a poly aluminium chloride gas leak from an unattended tank in an open plot near Aai Mata Mandir, close to Gangadham Chowk in Pune. The incident occurred around 12:30 am on Thursday.
Details of the Incident
The Bibvewadi police reported that the steel tank had corroded over time, developing a hole on Wednesday night that caused the gas leak. The affected individuals included 24 residents of Saibabanagar in Kondhwa and the two fire brigade personnel. They experienced symptoms such as breathlessness, cough, dizziness, vomiting, throat irritation, and eye irritation. All were rushed to Sassoon General Hospital and another health facility in Dhankawdi. Medical officials confirmed that all patients are stable and likely to be discharged by Friday morning.
Fire Brigade Response
The fire brigade received a call at 12:50 am regarding a gas cylinder leak. A team from Gangadham fire station, comprising five officers and about 30 firefighters, responded with four fire tenders. Initially, the firemen could not identify the exact source of the leak. However, following a trail of foul smell, they located the tank in the open plot, which was subsequently sealed.
Two fire brigade personnel fell ill while detecting the source. City fire brigade chief Devendra Potphode stated, "Fire station officer Sunil Naiknaware and fireman Dhananjay Bhise were hospitalised. They are out of danger."
The fire brigade evacuated the ailing residents of Saibabanagar using breathing apparatus. Water and caustic soda were employed to suppress the gas.
Legal Action
The police revealed that the abandoned tank containing poly aluminium chloride gas and the open plot belonged to a 73-year-old businessman who supplies chemicals to industrial units. Asfaq Rashid Sayyed (33), a resident of Saibabanagar, lodged a complaint against the businessman and his manager. A case has been registered under sections 286 (negligent or rash handling of poisonous substances endangering human life or causing injury) and 125 (rash or negligent acts endangering human life or personal safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Senior inspector Tejasvini Satpute of the Bibvewadi police explained, "The businessman had kept the 900 kg tank in the open plot a few years ago. He was negligent about safety measures, given the tank contained harmful substances." She added, "After delivering gas to a company, the tank was brought to the open plot and left unattended. A significant volume of poly aluminium chloride residue remained inside. Over time, the steel tank corroded, developing a hole on Wednesday night that caused the leak."
Satpute further noted, "There were two employees and a manager at the open plot, but they were not affected due to the direction of airflow from Bibvewadi towards Kondhwa. The poisonous gas drifted towards Saibabanagar. Some residents woke up experiencing breathlessness."
Resident Accounts
Aziz Khan, a resident of Saibabanagar, recounted, "I came home around 10:30 pm, and we went to sleep after dinner. I suddenly woke up around 1 am on Thursday because I was unable to breathe. I woke up my family members, and we all ran to the open road near Aai Mata Mandir. This quick action saved us from being hospitalised."
Authorities Involved
Officials from the Disaster Management Cell, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, and industrial safety and health department visited the site. The Bibvewadi police collected samples from the tank for chemical analysis.
