Jamshedpur, May 28 : Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda today blamed Tata Motors for Tuesday's chlorine gas leakage from its water filter plant in Jamshedpur.

"I was told that an unused chlorine cylinder had been lying in the plant for the last 10 years, and the gas leaked from that cylinder," Koda said.

Koda visited Jamshedpur Hospital this morning with Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto to enquire about the welfare of persons admitted there after the mishap.

Koda said, "The incident could have been averted had the cylinder been removed from the place. It is a clear case of negligence."

After the leakage on Tuesday afternoon, altogether 180 persons with breathing problems were admitted in hospital.

Twenty-six persons, including a fresh admission of a woman with similar complications, were admitted in the Tata Motors Hospital. The rest were discharged, hospital sources said. (ANI)