After the recent string of pollution cases that have occurred, you would think that factories would keep a closer eye on safety regulations to prevent further incidents from happening. Yet just yesterday (3rd September 2019), an ammonia leak occurring at a poultry processing factory in Merlimau, Melaka led to the evacuation of over 120 schoolchildren at the nearby Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Paya Redan located 1.5km away, as well as 800 factory workers.
Source; FMT
The leak, which was reported by NST and Malay Mail, was said to have originated from a gas pipe in the factory’s freezer section. Fortunately, none of the evacuated schoolchildren were affected by the ammonia gas. Melaka State Education Director Datuk Abu Bakar Sahari mentioned that parents of the schoolchildren were told to bring their kids home immediately after the school authorities were notified by the local Fire and Rescue Department. Thank God!
However, some people weren’t as lucky as 26 people were sent off to the Jasin Hospital to receive medical treatment due to the ammonia gasses. As of 11:30pm yesterday, 11 of them remained warded. According to the New York Department of Health, ammonia inhalation can cause bronchiolar and alveolar edema, and airway destruction resulting in respiratory distress or failure.
Source: Malaysians Must Know The Truth
The Fire and Rescue Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit (HAZMAT) has since started releasing the trapped ammonia gases at the poultry plant in stages by spraying water in five different locations on the factory grounds. State Housing, Local Government, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Tey Kok Kiew added that the process of releasing the ammonia gasses will take upwards of 10 hours to complete, with gas readings dropping from 500 ppm (part per million) to 30 ppm within 45 minutes of the procedure taking place.
The UPSR examinations held at SK Paya Redan will continue as scheduled. Meanwhile, the poultry processing factory has since been instructed to shut down their operations until investigations conclude.
We hope that the relevant authorities will be able to conduct a thorough investigation on the case, and that the affected victims will have a speedy recovery!
Also read: These Viral Photos Of Polluted Water Villages In Sabah Will Make You Think Twice About Littering
