In the second such incident in three days, patients at the district hospital here complained of breathing problems after chlorine gas leaked from two cylinders on Monday.

Patients complained of breathing problems, itching in the throat and had to be shifted to safer places after the gas leak, hospital sources said.

One of the patients fainted but was quickly attended to and the situation brought under control in an hour, they said.

Chief medical officer V.K Verma said that chlorine used for purification of water in the hospital leaked while the cylinders were being shifted.

He said necessary arrangements for storage and handling of chlorine would be soon made to avoid such mishaps.

A similar incident had taken place adjacent to the burn ward of the hospital on Saturday last.