At least 46 people fell ill after chlorine gas leaked in the government-run SCB Medical College and Hospital in the city of Cuttack in Odisha on Wednesday, IANS reported.
The gas reportedly leaked from a pump house of the Public Health Engineering Organisation on the premises of the hospital, Odisha Sun Times reported. It came to light after students of the college,patients and their relatives began complaining of nausea and chest pain, and started vomiting. Some of the firefighters who arrived soon after also fell sick and had to be admitted to the hospital.
“While 46 persons were taken ill following the gas leak, 25 persons were discharged after giving them first-aid,” state Health Minister Pradeep Jena said. The others patients were still in the hospital and are in a stable condition, he added. However, The Indian Express reported quoting unnamed sources in the hospital that three patients were in serious condition.
“An inquiry will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the gas leak,” Cuttack District Collector Sushant Mohapatra said.
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