Mumbai:
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which is undertaking neutralisation of chlorine gas from cylinders at Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) following the gas leakage incident, said 80 more hazardous gas cylinders were found in the MPT premises in south Mumbai.
Among the 136 cylinders lying untouched in the MPT since 13 years - one of which leaked on July 14 when over 120 fell sick after inhaling the gas -not only six but nearly 100 cylinders contained chlorine gas, the NDRF said.
Earlier, MPT had claimed that among the 136 containers, only six cylinders contained gas and one of them had leaked.
"MPT officials told us that there are another 80 more cylinders, with small quantity hazardous gas, inside the premises. Initially they said there were 136 cylinders and only six of them contained chlorine gas. And one of the six leaked last week," Shahbuddin Ahmed, Assistant Commandant of NDRF, told PTI.
"But now they say there are 80 more containers which were found in two different locations in the MPT premises," he added.
This was revealed by MPT to the NDRF in a meeting held recently between them.
"In the 100 gas cylinders lot, we have degassed over 85 containers. It would take another few days to neutralize remaining 15," he said.
Later, they would take the neutralisation work of the newly found 80 cylinders, Ahmed added. The NDRF is using lorry tankers with full of mixture of solution of lime, water and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) to neutralise the gas containers.
Meanwhile, an enquiry report by the MPT into the chlorine gas leakage incident is expected to be ready by next week, officials said.
They said that the consignment of 136 cylinders had been imported by Mumbai-based Agro Gases Pvt Ltd.
Police had registered an FIR in the case against unidentified persons under the relevant section of the IPC and Environment Act, police said.