A deadly gas leak in September 2020 that killed an Indian person landed a Singaporean technician in prison

The Singapore Refining Company’s senior operations technician received a four-month prison term for ordering foreign laborers to work while a factory discharged hazardous gas into the air, killing a 30-year-old Indian citizen.

At the oil refinery facility on Merlimau Road on Jurong Island, Leck Ching Hwa, 47, who was the senior operations technician at the time of the event, was jailed last Friday and acknowledged his negligence.

On September 17, 2020, Palanivel Pandidurai, a 30-year-old Indian citizen, suffered chemical burns from some hazardous gas and died five days later of multiple organ failure.

When exposed to hydrogen sulfide gas, Palanivel and Periyasamy Kolanginathan, who were employed by PEC at the time, passed out. When Narayanan Murasoli attempted to save the two, he also passed out.

That day, the three were sent to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

Despite their severe injuries, Periyasamy and Narayanan managed to live. Their ages and nationalities were not disclosed in court records, The Straits Times reported on Monday.

With an unpleasant smell akin to rotten eggs, hydrogen sulphide is a colorless, toxic gas. It is often used in the extraction of natural gas and crude oil.

Additionally flammable and volatile is hydrogen sulfide.

Melvyn Low, the prosecution official for the Ministry of Manpower, informed the court that Palanivel had chemical burns on 40% of his body surface area.

He also suffered severe skin peeling and blistering on his back and upper abdomen. Later on in his stay in the critical care unit, he had multiple organ failure, and on September 22, 2020, he passed away.

Periyasamy, meanwhile, had 9.5% superficial partial thickness burns to his thighs, hips, and upper back. The day he was released was September 21, 2020.

Three days later, Narayanan was released from the hospital, having had abrasions to his back and eyes from a chemical accident.