Bhubaneswar: The death toll of workers from Odisha in the ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing and export unit in Tamil Nadu has climbed to 14, following the demise of a young woman from Odisha’s Kendujhar district.
Reports identified her as Anjali Juanga of Kharaba village in Pithagola panchayat. She reportedly had been on ventilator support since the June 21 accident and passed away during treatment last night. The Tamil Nadu’s Health Department, however, has not issued any latest update mentioning her death. The official data puts the toll at 16 with 13 deceased from Odisha.
Meanwhile, the incident has also brought to light serious allegations of illegal recruitment practices and exploitation of migrant workers, particularly minor tribal girls from the state. The Odisha Labour Department has filed a complaint at Telkoi police station against labour contractor Srikant Juanga of Rangamatia village. He is accused of running an illegal recruitment racket, luring workers, many of them minors, with promises of high salaries and better jobs, then sending them to the Tamil Nadu facility in October 2025.
To bypass regulations, the contractor allegedly forged identity documents, including Aadhaar cards, presenting underage girls as adults. One reported case involves 16-year-old Yamini Juanga of Rangamatia, who was employed under the identity of an adult woman, Parbati Juang, from Balanipasi village. She was among those who died in the gas leak. Authorities have also initiated similar cases at Harichandanpur and Nayakote police stations to address widespread illegal recruitment in the region.
The District Labour Officer of Keonjhar, Akash Bisoi, has urged a thorough investigation into human trafficking, employment of minors in hazardous industries, document forgery, and related offences. A special team from the Odisha Police is expected to travel to Tamil Nadu soon to probe the factory’s hiring practices and the broader network of labour brokers.
This follows the arrest of a labour contractor, identified as Suresh, in Tiruvallur on June 26. The agent allegedly brought minors from villages in other states and recruited them with forged identity documents as adults at the seafood processing factory.
