Bhubaneswar: Ammonia leak at Aiginia cold storage sparks panic, leakage contained

Bhubaneswar: Residents of Aiginia under Khandagiri police limits in Bhubaneswar woke up to a tense situation early Thursday after an ammonia leak was reported from a potato cold storage facility in the area. Authorities said the gas leak was later controlled and no one was injured.

The incident came to light around 1 am when people living nearby sensed a strong ammonia odour coming from the cold storage unit. As the smell spread, several residents complained of irritation in the eyes and difficulty in breathing. Concerned about possible danger, locals immediately informed the fire department and Khandagiri police.

Firefighters, along with a specialised strike force team, reached the spot soon after receiving the alert. As a precaution, residents staying close to the facility were moved to safer places.

The emergency teams worked for nearly three hours to bring the situation under control. Wearing protective gear, fire personnel entered the premises and identified a fault in the valve packing of the ammonia pipeline as the source of the leak.

To tackle the situation, the team sprayed an atomised solution to neutralise the gas and used water to prevent it from spreading further. The damaged valve was later sealed.

A fire official said the leak was fully stopped after sustained efforts and added that an inquiry has been initiated to determine what led to the malfunction.

Police confirmed that the situation returned to normal by early morning, and evacuated residents were allowed to go back to their homes.