More than twenty workers and local residents fell ill after a gas leak occurred at an ice factory in the Happukur area near Dharmatala More in Haroa, located in the North 24 Parganas district.
The incident took place on Sunday night at around half past eight when a pipe inside the factory suddenly burst, causing a mixture of ammonia, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide gases to escape.
The affected individuals experienced severe breathing difficulties due to the exposure.
Police personnel from the Haroa police station and a team from the fire department rushed to the spot after receiving information about the accident.
Authorities shifted the sick people to a local hospital, and three individuals whose conditions worsened were later transferred to the Haroa Rural Hospital.
Firefighters and police managed to stop the gas leak from the broken pipe and brought the situation under control, although the exact cause of the pipe failure remains unclear.
Angry locals blocked the Bedachampa-Haroa Road to protest the incident and demanded the arrest of the ice factory owner, but they lifted the blockade following police assurance.
