3 min readJun 30, 2026 07:23 PM IST
First published on: Jun 22, 2026 at 07:53 AM IST
Seven people died and more than 40 were hospitalised in Tamil Nadu after an ammonia gas leak at a private seafood export company spread to the workers’ residential premises. The injured are currently under treatment at several hospitals near the seafood unit, with the critically injured being moved to Stanley Medical College in Chennai.
First, how does ammonia affect the body?
Exposure to high levels of ammonia starts irritating and hurting the skin, eyes, throat, and lungs. It can lead to abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. It can cause painful blisters on the skin. It can trigger swelling and narrowing of the throat, making it harder to breathe. It can lead to severe bouts of coughing and lung damage, which can ultimately result in death. Serious patients have reported pulmonary edema (fluid accumulation in the lungs), severe oxygen deprivation and respiratory failure.
Most people can immediately smell the chemical, feel skin irritation or even start coughing, ensuring that they do not get exposed to high quantities. “Exposure for a long time may affect people’s ability to sense the chemical,” says the US Centres for Disease Control.
Some, who have been exposed to very high levels of ammonia, can experience long-term health consequences such as chronic cough, asthma and scarring of the lungs. A 2012 study from Gujarat based on the data of over 1,200 employees of a urea manufacturing plant found that more than 68.22% workers who were exposed to ammonia gas at work had a significantly higher risk of respiratory disease as compared to workers that were not exposed to ammonia.
How are such cases treated?
There is no specific treatment for exposure to ammonia. Doctors and health professionals usually try to remove the ammonia from the body after an exposure and then provide supportive care for any symptoms a person develops.
What should you do if exposed?
If you have been exposed to ammonia gas, you should:
Remove all your clothes. Do not remove it over your head to prevent further exposure into the mouth and eyes. If you have to, close your eyes and mouth before doing so.
Wash your body with lukewarm water and soap.
Wash your eyes with lukewarm water as well.
What is ammonia used for?
Ammonia is generally used in the manufacturing of fertilisers, plastics, explosives, and other chemicals such as corrosion inhibitors. It is used for water purification, it is present in household cleaners, and is required in industries such as rubber, textile and leather. It is also used as a refrigerant gas, which is likely the case in Tamil Nadu.
Have there been other instances previously?
Yes. There was an instance of ammonia gas leak in a meat factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh that affected at least 50 workers in 2022. Two years before that, around 50 people fell ill or fainted in a cold storage plant in Haryana’s Uttar Pradesh.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel arrive at a seafood export unit following an ammonia gas leak, in Manjangaranai, Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. (PTI Photo) 
Share
