Chittagong: Authorities ordered investigations into the overnight leakage of ammonia at the Di-Ammonia Phosphate (DAP) Fertilizer Company Limited at the outskirts of Chittagong as officials said emissions came under control.

‘The situation is now under control,’ said Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Mezbahuddin Ahmed.

Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), which runs the factory on the bank of the karnaphuli at Anwara upazila, formed a 10-member committee to investigate into the incident.

‘The committee will determine the cause of the leakage and assess the extent of damage and submit a detailed report along with recommendations within three days,’ said a BCIC official.

The deputy commissioner, on the other hand, said the district administration constituted separately another committee headed by additional district magistrate Mominur Rashid.

He said the committee was asked to submit its report within next seven days.

The emission sickened over 100 people while nearly 60 people treated at Chittagong Medical College Hosital with officials saying the gas leaked from a pipe at the factory for reasons yet to be ascertained.

But doctors said condition of none of them was critical.

The gas spread on the other side of the river panicking and sickening residents at the port city within several kilometres in the neighbourhood who suffered from respiratory problems.

Fire service officials said they estimated the volume of ammonia to be as high as 600 ppm (parts per million) in the air after the leakage whilst workers at the factory can tolerate 25 ppm.

The factory officials earlier said the damaged tank contained 500 tonnes of ammonia.