Bhiwandi (Maharashtra), July 24 - Military experts arrived in this township near Mumbai Friday to assist the civil administration probing a chlorine gas leak the day before. At least 59 people fell seriously ill after inhaling the fumes. The incident forced the evacuation of 3,500 people, officials said.

According to Sudesh Punyarthi, chief of Bhiwandi Disaster Management department, a discarded cylinder containing 900 kg of chlorine gas, belonging to the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation's sewerage department, leaked after an explosion in a civic dumping ground.

The powerloom township of Bhiwandi is around 45 km northeast of Mumbai.

'While most of the chlorine gas is believed to have dissipated in the air, the army experts and our technical officials are trying to ascertain if there is any more left which could create problems,' Punyarthi told IANS.

At least nine women fell unconscious after they inhaled the fumes and were admitted to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital nearby.