NEW DELHI, April 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 24 people, including two fire and emergency personnel, were hospitalized early Thursday following a toxic gas leak at a storage facility in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, officials said.

The incident took place at a defunct water purification plant godown in Kondhwa of Pune district, about 167 km southeast of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra.

According to the police, the gas leak was reported from an abandoned tank containing chlorine, adding that the leaking tank was properly patched using safety equipment.

Investigations carried out by the police revealed that a person who previously operated the water purification plant at the site had dismantled the unit, but left the chlorine-filled tank abandoned at the spot.

Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation to determine why the tank was left abandoned.