While the seven critically ill were being treated in the SSG Hospital, the others were released after being administered first aid. All the affected complained of nausea and breathing trouble.

Meanwhile, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Administration) H S Patel told Express Newsline that the guilty Shankar Ice Factory had been sealed under Section 376 of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act as it was hazardous to public health.

An explosion in an ammonia compressor is said to be the reason for the leak, which forced the panic-stricken locals -- men, women and children -- to flee from the locality, leaving their residences unguarded. ``The smell was so obnoxious we could hardly tolerate it'', said Akbari, who lives 200 m away from the factory.

Social worker Bafat Shah Diwan told Express Newsline, ``It was 10.45 a.m. when suddenly, I saw people running helter-skelter. I asked someone if a riot had broken out but was told that ammonia had leaked from the neighbouring ice-factory.

``I rushed towards the factory to see if there was anyone in need of help, but the stench was so nauseating I had to run for shelter to a nearby air-conditioned office. I then phoned the fire brigade and the police control room and sought help.''

The emergency personnel arrived around 11.15 a.m., Diwan said, adding that the police requested the people to vacate their houses over the PA system even as masked Fire Brigade personnel tried to plug the leadking compressor.

In the afternoon, when the gas had dissipated somewhat, furious residents got together to raise slogans against the factory, demanding it be shut down immediately. The police reportedly had a tough time controlling them.

Fire Brigade Station Officer A K Shah said the main leak had been repaired by 12.15 p.m., though the entire operation took seven hours.

According to factory owner Girdhar Lalwani, the explosion had been triggered by an engineering flaw in the one-and-a-half-year-old compressor.