Fire and Chlorine Gas Leak at Salem Sago Factory Leave 11 Workers Hospitalized

A fire accident and chlorine gas leak at a private factory in Salem left 11 workers hospitalized on Monday evening.

A private sago factory in Attur, Salem, processes tapioca roots to produce sago and starch flour. At around 6 PM yesterday, an electrical fault broke out at the factory, igniting gunny sacks and starting a fire.

Chlorine powder had been stored in bags at the facility to clean the tapioca roots. As the fire spread, smoke began rising from the area where the chlorine powder was kept. In a panic, workers poured water onto the burning area to douse the flames — but this caused the chlorine powder to react with the water and smoke, converting into a toxic gas that spread through the factory.

Firefighters were alerted and rushed to the scene, working to simultaneously extinguish the fire and contain the gas leak.

Eleven workers suffered breathlessness, respiratory distress, and dizziness due to chlorine gas inhalation. They were rescued from the site and admitted to a private hospital for treatment.

After a nearly two-hour effort, the fire was fully brought under control.