The death toll in the ammonia gas leak at a private seafood processing and export unit in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district has risen to nine, with authorities confirming another fatality on Tuesday. All the victims are women, most of them migrant workers from Odisha and Assam.

The incident occurred on June 21 at a seafood processing facility near Periyapalayam in the Kannigaipair-Manjangaranai area. According to the state health department, around 80 workers were affected by the toxic leak, while 69 people remain under treatment in various hospitals across Chennai. Two workers have already been discharged after recovery.

Doctors said several workers suffered severe ammonia inhalation, causing acute breathlessness, coughing, chest discomfort and irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract. Some critically affected patients required ventilator support due to exposure to high concentrations of the gas.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has constituted a three-member committee to investigate the incident, while the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance and sought a report from the state government. Authorities are examining the exact cause of the leak and have intensified monitoring and relief efforts to ensure the safety of affected workers and nearby residents.