At least 22 residents and two firemen were hospitalised after they complained of breathlessness due to a chlorine gas leak at Kondhwa in Pune after midnight on Thursday, fire officials said.
Officials said the leak came from an abandoned chlorine tank at a defunct water purification plant godown in the Gangadham area around 1 am.
A man who previously operated the water purification plant at the site said he had dismantled the unit, but the tank containing chlorine appeared to have remained unattended and developed a leak.
"Following the leak and the subsequent spread of gas, residents in the vicinity complained of breathlessness. Upon receiving the call, fire teams were dispatched. Several citizens were evacuated, and the leaking tank was patched using safety equipment," a fire official said.
"All the affected residents and the two fire personnel are out of danger and currently under observation at Sassoon General Hospital," the official said.