Vizag gas leak kills 11, hundreds taken ill

AP Govt orders probe into mishap at SKorean chemical plant; 3,000 evacuated

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Shramik trains suspended

The accident impacted the movement of trains from Visakhapatnam, including at least nine Shramik Special Trains taking migrants to various places.

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Rs 1 cr relief to victims’ kin

The Chief Minister announced Rs 1 crore relief to kin of each person killed.

Visakhapatnam/New Delhi, May 7

Gas leak from a multinational chemical plant in Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Thursday killed 11 persons and over a 1,000 fell ill as the toxic vapours spread to villages up to 5 km away. The National Disaster Management Authority and local administration evacuated nearly 3,000 people and secured the area with the help of specialised teams.

Hours after the styrene gas leak around 2.30 am from the South Korean-owned LG Polymers Plant at RR Venkatapuram village near here, scores of people could be seen lying unconscious on sidewalks, raising fears of a major industrial disaster.

Among the dead were two children, aged six and nine, a first year medical student and two people who fell into a well while fleeing the vapours from the plant, getting ready to reopen after the lockdown.

Cries for help broke the silence of the night and many people fell unconscious in their sleep, a villager said.

As rescue officers and police personnel rushed to take people to hospital and revive them, many people could be seen gasping for breath as they staggered their way to safety, dazed and disoriented. Some tried to walk but fell to the ground.

The death toll from the accident could go up with at least 20 people on ventilator support. Besides, 246 people with health complications are undergoing treatment at Visakhapatnam’s King George Hospital, police said.

About 800 people in ground zero, R R Venkatapuram village in Gopalapatnam, were evacuated and most needed only first aid.

“Initially I thought that it was an LPG cylinder leak. When we came out we realised it is a leakage from the L G Polymers factory near our village,” said G Vinay, who lost his uncle in the tragedy.

Narendra said he saw many people slowly losing their strength and falling to a heap, unconscious. “We were fast asleep. Around 2.30 am I woke up as my skin was itching. I opened my eyes but felt a burning sensation. I sensed some danger and woke up my family,” he said.

A preliminary report by the Factories Department indicated the leak was caused by a technical glitch in the refrigeration unit attached to the two styrene tanks, district officials said.

“Only around 9.30 am we could understand what exactly it was after the fog over the area cleared,” District Collector V Vinay Chand said.

As much as 1,800 tonne of styrene is said to have been in the storage tank when the leakage happened. Styrene gas, used to make polystyrene plastics, fibreglass, rubber, and latex, affects the central nervous system, throat, skin and eyes.

Taking stock of the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken to officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

“I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam,” Modi said in a tweet.

Addressing a joint press conference in Delhi in the afternoon, National Disaster Response Force and NDMA officials said 11 people died and 1,000 were exposed to the gas. NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said NDRF personnel would be at the spot till it was totally plugged.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has ordered a probe into the matter, state Director General of Police D Gautam Sawang said. The Chief Minister also announced Rs 1 crore relief to kin of each person killed.

Though the source of the leak was contained in the morning, the effects were seen for many hours after.

Daybreak revealed the full magnitude of the tragedy. Hundreds of villagers, most of them children, suffered from irritation in their eyes, breathlessness, nausea and rashes.

Everyone helped as they could, some offering first aid, others water, dabbing and wiping people’s faces. Those affected were rushed to hospitals in autos and two-wheelers while government workers and others tried to assist in whatever way possible.

In disturbing visuals from the spot that flashed across news and social media, a man, his eyes rolling back, was being put into an ambulance. Another just slumped to the ground near a scooter, stunned and looking blank. Two children hugged each other as a rescue worker tried to revive a woman, possibly their mother.

Cattle and birds were also knocked unconscious by the gas leak.

State Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy said the LG Polymers unit was supposed to reopen post-lockdown on Thursday.

South Korean firm LG Chem, which operates the plant, said it was cooperating with Indian authorities to help residents and employees.

The leak was noticed by company staff who were reportedly inspecting machines to restart the factory and raised an alarm. PTI