Saharanpur, UP: At least 14 women workers were hospitalised following an ammonia gas leak at a meat processing plant in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

The incident occurred at around 1:00 pm at ALM Industries Limited, located within the Gagalheri police station jurisdiction, where several women were engaged in packaging work. The sudden gas leakage triggered chaos and panic on the premises, causing several workers to suffer from breathing difficulties, anxiety, and dizziness, with a few fainting on the spot.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sadar, Subodh Kumar, stated that the State Disaster Response Team (SDRT), along with local police led by Station House Officer (SHO) Dharmendra Singh and a fire brigade unit, rushed to the spot immediately upon receiving information.

"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.

The affected workers, including Shakira, Amreen, Nasreen, Gulshan, Ruksar, Nisha, Misba, Seerin, Famina, and Samreen, were rushed by plant management to the nearby Hari Hospital. 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 processing plant was temporarily halted following the incident. Administrative authorities and concerned departments have launched a formal probe to ascertain the exact cause of the leak.