Earlier this week on Monday (13th August), Malaysians were shocked upon learning that two people died and 19 others were injured in an ammonia gas leak at an ice factory in Shah Alam.
“The two workers who died were believed to have inhaled the ammonia gas which leaked from a tank that was stored while doing routine work,” Shah Alam Fire and Rescue station chief Azmel Kamarudin told Channel NewsAsia.
Source: The Sun Daily
“Those injured had breathing difficulties, vomiting and eye irritation due to the high ammonia content which is of 500 ppm (parts per million) compared to the normal reading of 50 ppm and below.”
In light of the dangerous gas leak, residents staying within 3km of the factory were also evacuated by the fire and rescue department. What’s even more alarming is that this isn’t the first time an incident like this happened two years ago.
“The factory is very close to a residential and school area, and I am afraid that there will be more leakages (in the future) the lives of residents and school students will be at stake, so I hope the authorities will transfer the plant to a safer place,” a local resident told the news portal.
Source: MSN News
Now, according to The Star, six secondary school students from SMJK (C) Chong Hwa were also affected by the ammonia leak and were rushed to the hospital this morning (16th August) after experiencing nausea.
“An early reading indicated that the ammonia level was 10 ppm (parts per million) which is safe and below the 30 ppm permissible level cut off point,” a spokesman told the daily.
After Monday’s gas leak incident, the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) inspected the ice factory and discovered that they actually did not have a permit to store hazardous materials such as ammonia. They have since ordered the factory to temporarily halt its operations so that the levels of ammonia in the area can be neutralised.
Source: The Star
Ammonia poisoning is a serious hazard that can be deadly, depending on the concentration you’re exposed to. Some of the symptoms of ammonia poisoning, according to Mount Sinai, include;
- Cough
- Severe chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Fever
- Tearing and burning of eyes
- Temporary blindness
- Severe throat pain
- Mouth pain
- Lip swelling
- Rapid, weak pulse
- Confusion
- Difficulty walking
- Dizziness
- Lack of coordination
- Severe stomach pain
- Vomiting
- Bluish-coloured lips and fingernails
- Severe burns if contact is longer than a few minutes
Let’s hope the students make a full and quick recovery while the authorities take steps to ensure this incident never happens again!
Also read: 7 Facts to Know About The Tampered Coffee Mixture That’s Been Poisoning M’sians
