india

Updated: Sep 20, 2019 19:34 IST

The Mumbai civic body has summoned officials of the gas agencies and chemical companies in the city to resolve the persisting mystery of gas-leak-like smell that spread panic among the residents in several areas on Thursday night.

Alarmed by the foul smell, resembling a gas-leak, residents from Chembur, Ghatkopar, Tilak Nagar, Andheri, Kandivli, Kurla, Mira Road and other suburban areas had called up the fire brigade and the Mumbai Police, while some others took to Twitter. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster management cell received a total of 29 calls on Thursday night about the suspected gas leak which could not be traced by the authorities till Friday.

The meeting with the chemical firms and gas agencies headed by Additional Municipal commissioner (Disaster Management) will inquire about possible leaks at plants or in the supply lines, said a senior civic official.

According to the BMC, calls about the odour stopped later on Thursday night.

Nine fire engines that were rushed to locate the source of the alleged gas leak returned without success. However, emergency vehicles of piped-cooking-gas-supply company, Mahanagar Gas Limited, continued to patrol the areas to figure out the source, even on Friday.

An official statement from Mahanagar Gas Limited said, “Since late evening, MGL has been receiving complaints of gas smell from various parts of Mumbai. Our emergency teams have spread out to sites from where complaints have been received. So far, we have not come across any breach in our pipeline system which could result in leakage of gas.”

The Rashtriya Chemical and Fertilizers Ltd (RCF), too, rejected speculations that its Chembur plant could have been the cause.

“Some people have alleged that the gas leak happened in the Chembur plant of Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd (RCF). However, there is no incidence of gas leakage in RCF plant. Even Mumbai Police, Fire Brigade and NDRF teams visited RCF and found no gas leakage and declared everything to be normal. All RCF plants are running normal as per standard operating procedures,” said an official release by the company.

(To be updated)