At least eight people, including a child, have been reported dead after a major gas leak in a chemical plant of a multinational firm in Andhra Pradesh’s Vishakapatnam. Moreover, as many as 1,000 people have been reported ill due to the incident. Fire engines and ambulance were rushed at the spot as soon as the news broke out.
“There is gas leakage identified at LG Polymers in Gopalpatnam. Requesting Citizens around these locations not to come out of houses for the sake of safety precautions,” the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation tweeted.
People within the area of 3 KM have been affected by the gas leak. The gas leaked out of a 5,000-tonne tank that had been unattended due to the lockdown in place since late March.
As the incident broke, industrial horns were turned on and people can be seen taking the affected on the ambulance. Videos from the spot show nearly 10 people lying on the ground. It’s not clear whether they were unconscious or the casualties would rise.
Set up in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers, the company was taken over by South Korea’s LG Chem and renamed as LG Polymers India in 1997. The plant makes polystyrene and expandable polystyrene, a versatile plastic used to make a wide variety of consumer products like toys and appliances.
People, as of now, are being shifted to safer places. And officials claim that the gas leak situation is under control. Can 2020 get any worse?
