Nitrogen gas leak at Medley Pharmaceuticals factory near Mumbai kills four workers and injures two others

A nitrogen gas leak at a pharmaceuticals factory around 130km from Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra killed four people on 21 August. Two people also remain in a serious condition.

The four victims were on duty next to a nitrogen reaction tank at Medley Pharmaceuticals’ Boisar–Tarapur plant when the leak occurred. Police say their initial findings indicate they died from excessive inhalation of nitrogen, however, a detailed investigation is currently underway.

According to disaster management officials, the leak occurred from a 3000kg tank on the ground floor that was part of a refrigerator unit, during the production of albendazole, a medication used to treat a variety of parasitic worm infections. In response to the incident, the Mumbai Fire Brigade and a specialised group of emergency responders trained to handle incidents involving dangerous substances, were deployed. They identified that a malfunctioning valve caused the nitrogen to leak from the tank.

District authorities, along with the police and key agencies, have launched a comprehensive inquiry to determine the exact cause of the gas leak and to assess possible safety lapses at the facility.

Last Friday the police registered a case against four senior officials of the Medley company under provisions of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.