JUST WEEKS AFTER an ammonia gas leak claimed two lives and injured 68 workers in Tamil Nadu, a similar incident has now emerged in Uttar Pradesh. In the state’s Saharanpur region, 14 women were hospitalized after an ammonia gas leak occurred at a meat-processing plant. The incident happened on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, when the women fell unconscious after the gas leak and were later shifted to a local private  hospital.

The ammonia gas leak incident happened at Alom Industries Limited, located in Haroda village, which comes within the jurisdiction of the Gagelheri Police Station. The company is owned by former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Haji Fazlur Rahman. On Tuesday afternoon, as the women were engaging in their usual packaging work at the plant, the sudden gas leak triggered panic and chaos. Several workers reportedly suffered from breathing problems, anxiety, and dizziness, and many fell unconscious on the spot.

Subodh Kumar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Sadar, stated to reporters that the State Disaster Response Team (SDRT), along with local police officials led by Station House Officer (SHO) Dharmendra Singh, were immediately dispatched to the accident site after receiving information about the ammonia gas leak. 

"On July 21, at around 1:00 PM, information was received regarding a gas leak at Alom Industries Limited in the Gagalheri police station area. Preliminary investigation revealed an ammonia gas leak that affected 14 female workers whose health deteriorated. They were immediately admitted to a nearby hospital, and everyone is currently safe. Further legal action in the matter is underway," SDM Subodh Kumar told reporters.

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Workers Recall the Moment When Ammonia Gas Leak Happened

The affected women were aged between 18-36 years of age, and hailed from different regions. Some have been identified as — Samreen (18) resident of Bareilly, Misba (18), Famina (29) years, Gulshan (35), Nazreen (20), Samreen (21), Nagma (18), Nisha (18), Amreen (19) resident of Pilibhit resident, Rukhsar (20), Shakeeba (19) from Bijnor, Nisha (18) years from Moradabad, and Nasreen (36) from Tanakpur.

Speaking to reporters, Misba, one of the workers working at the factory who was a victim of the ammonia gas leak, stated that around 250 women are employed at the factory's packaging unit and are paid around 300 rupees per day. “We were packing meat when the gas suddenly started leaking. Panic spread across the plant as workers struggled to breathe,” she recalled.

Another victim, Gulshan, said she suddenly felt dizzy after the gas leaked throughout the plant. “I don't know how it happened. Suddenly the gas spread, I felt dizzy, and after that I don't remember anything,” she said.

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The plant management rushed all the women to the nearby Hari Hospital after the ammonia gas leak. While some workers were initially admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to the severity of their symptoms, officials confirmed that all individuals are now out of danger and in stable condition. Work at the meat processing plant has seen a temporary halt after the incident.

Initially, four women were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) considering the intensity of their symptoms, hospital manager Paramendra and Dr. Kunal Saini said. The other 10 were admitted to the general ward after their condition improved after first aid. Other affected workers have been kept under observation after first aid

Why is Ammonia Gas Used in Processing Plants?

Ammonia gas is a common coolant that is used in processing plants. It absorbs meat and decreases the temperature of the factory. An inquiry to determine the reason behind the ammonia gas leak at the Alom processing factory has been initiated, with further details awaited.

(Edited by Ritik Singh)

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