Tamil Nadu Gas Tragedy Toll Rises To 13; Trafficking Of Odisha's Tribal Workers Under Scanner
The tragedy occurred at a shrimp processing factory where dozens of migrant labourers from Odisha were employed: Reports
BHUBANESWAR: The death toll in the ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing unit in Tamil Nadu climbed to 13 on Sunday after another tribal woman from Odisha succumbed to her injuries, intensifying scrutiny over the alleged trafficking of vulnerable tribal workers from the state's interior districts.
The latest victim, Budhubari Nayak, a Juang tribal woman from Andhari Sahi under Aluri panchayat in Angul district, had been battling for life at a hospital in Tamil Nadu since the June 23 gas leak. She died during treatment on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred at a shrimp processing factory where dozens of migrant labourers from Odisha were employed. Preliminary investigations suggest that labour brokers had specifically recruited women and even minor girls from the economically deprived Juang tribal community, allegedly luring their families with advance payments and promises of steady employment.
According to survivors, the ammonia leak occurred outside the workers' residential quarters during the night, exposing them to highly toxic fumes while they were asleep.
Following the incident, the Tamil Nadu Police detained four persons for questioning, including a local labour broker identified as Srikanta Juang and a contractor, Rajesh, as investigators probe possible violations in recruitment practices and workplace safety.
“Our youths from Odisha had gone there to work in the shrimp factory. The gas leaked outside the rooms where we were staying. That is how everyone was exposed,” said survivor Anant Juang.
Another worker, Sumant Juang, who lost his wife in the tragedy, recounted the ordeal. “Both my wife and my sister were admitted to hospital. My sister recovered, but my wife never regained consciousness after the incident,” he said.
Following the disaster, the Odisha government launched an evacuation drive to bring stranded workers back home. A total of 58 labourers — 23 women and 35 men — have since returned to the state. They belong to Angul, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and other districts.
Several injured workers, however, continue to remain hospitalised in Tamil Nadu, with some reported to be in critical condition.
The tragedy has also exposed what activists describe as an organised network of labour trafficking from Odisha's tribal belt. Families of the victims have questioned how brokers were able to recruit vulnerable tribal workers, including young women, and transport them across states without effective oversight.
The Odisha labour department has come under criticism, with allegations that it neither registered complaints nor initiated criminal proceedings against those allegedly involved in the illegal recruitment of tribal workers.
The incident has triggered uncomfortable questions over whether authorities were aware of unauthorised migration networks operating in remote tribal pockets and whether sufficient safeguards existed to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable communities.
