More than 1000 people fell sick due to a styrene gas leak at an LG Polymers Plant in Andhra Pradesh’s Vishakapatnam district
A chemical gas leak in the early hours of May 7, at an LG Polymers plant in Vishakapatnam, India killed at least 10 people and several hundred were admitted to the government hospital at Gopalapatnam and the King George Hospital. More than 1000 people came in contact with the deadly styrene gas which leaked from LG Polymers’ chemical plant and spread in approximately three-kilometre radius.
Swarupa Rani, Assistant Commissioner of Police in Vishakapatnam said that at least 1500 people were evacuated from the neighbouring villages. Rani further said that the evacuations began at 4 am following a distress call from the local residents complaining about feeling the gas in the air. “We received an emergency call from the local villagers around 3:30 am local time in the morning today. They said there was some gas in the air. We reached there immediately. One could feel the gas in the air and it was not possible for any of us to stay there for more than a few minutes. Prepared rescue workers started working from around 4 am”, she said.
LG Chemical Ltd, a South Korean battery-making company, located 14 kilometres away from Vishakapatnam city, said that the gas leak had been brought under control. “We are looking into the exact damages, cause of the death and details of the incident,” the company said in a statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the incident saying, “Spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam, which is being monitored closely. I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam.” The company had reopened just a few days ago after the nationwide lockdown, put in place from March 25, was relaxed on May 4.
