(MENAFN- Live Mint) A blast in a reactor at a fertiliser plant in Maharashtra's Sangli district on Thursday killed three people, including two women, and left nine others injured, officials said. The explosion, followed by a gas leak, has hospitalized all the injured, according to a PTI report.

Where and when did the blast take place?

An official informed the news agency PTI that the explosion happened at the Myanmar Chemical Company in Shalgaon MIDC of Kadegaon tehsil in the Sangli district around 6.30 pm on November 21.

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The security guard and two other women died after inhaling the fatal chemical fumes, the police said. According to Sangli Superintendent of Police Sandip Ghuge, the gas is suspected to be ammonia. The deceased women have been identified as Suchita Uthale, aged 50, who hailed from Sangli district's Yetgaon, and Neelam Rethrekar, aged 26, who hailed from Sangli district's Masur.

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Senior inspector of Kadegaon police station Sangram Shewale said,“Due to the gas leak , some 12 people in the unit were affected and taken to hospital. Of them, two women workers and a security guard have died. Nine others are being treated,” reported PTI.

A police official informed that seven of the injured individuals were admitted to Sahyadri Hospital in Karad, while five of them are in the intensive care unit (ICU).

How deadly is ammonia?

An individual may experience short–or long-term problems affecting their respiratory tract if high levels of ammonia is inhaled and goes into the lungs, according to Medical News Today.

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• Inhaling ammonia may cause swelling and narrowing of the airways and air sacs in the lungs. The affected person may also experience burning in the throat and windpipe.
• The mucous membranes of the lungs are severely affected after inhaling ammonia, which may damage the airways and result in respiratory distress or failure.
• Furthermore, asphyxiation may happen if enough ventilation is not provided or if people are in an enclosed space.

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