Bharuch, Aug 24 (IANS):  With ten more people being rushed to hospital, the number of workers hospitalised after the gas leakage incident at a chemical factory near Jambusar in Gujarat's Bharuch district on August 23, rose to 28 on Thursday, police said.

The affected complained of severe respiratory distress after inhaling bromine gas, which leaked due to a fire outbreak in a storage tank at the PI Industries facility situated in Sarod village of the district, on Wednesday.

Bharuch Resident Additional Collector N.R. Dhandhal provided insights into the incident, revealing the critical circumstances surrounding the gas leak.

According to sub-inspector Vaishali Ahir from the Vedach police station, the factory premises housed approximately 2,000 workers at the time of the incident around 1 p.m on August 23.

Swift action was taken to evacuate all the people safely from the site, ensuring their well-being.

"The workers who were in close proximity to the affected tank complained of severe health issues and were promptly transported to nearby medical facilities. The leak has since been brought under control," said Ahir, shedding light on the immediate response measures undertaken to contain the situation.

Authorities are investigating the incident to ascertain the root cause of the gas leak and the subsequent fire outbreak. Workplace conditions are examined.