9 villagers face breathing trouble after gas leak at Maharashtra's Ratnagiri chemical unit; 1 of them hospitalised

Mumbai: Nine villagers complained of breathing difficulty and one of them was hospitalised following a gas leak at a chemical factory in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, said a government official on Wednesday.

According to the official, a local factory inspector, the gas leaked on Tuesday night from the chemical unit of Axcel Company located in the Lote Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in Khed taluka of the coastal district, around 340km from Mumbai.

Nine residents, including children and women, of Talarewadi village located near the MIDC area complained of breathing problem and they were rushed to a hospital in Chiplun town, he said.

Eight of them were allowed to go home after medical examination, while one villager was admitted to the hospital, said the official, adding the cause of the gas leak was not yet known.

An inquiry has been ordered and action will be taken against those responsible for the gas leak, he added.