Visakhapatnam gas leak | Centre steps in, 500 kg of chemicals airlifted from Gujarat

PM chairs a meeting to take stock of steps taken in response to the incident

May 07, 2020 06:34 pm | Updated June 09, 2020 07:57 pm IST - New Delhi

Victims being rushed to hospital following the gas leak from LG Polymers that occurred in the early hours of Thursday in Visakhapatnam

Victims being rushed to hospital following the gas leak from LG Polymers that occurred in the early hours of Thursday in Visakhapatnam

Around 500 kg of chemicals were airlifted from Gujarat and sent to Visakhapatnam on Thursday to neutralise the impact of hazardous gas Styrene that leaked at the plant in the early hours claiming more than half a dozen lives.

Due to the lockdown , officials at LG Polymers Private Ltd, where the gas leak took place, requested the government authorities to arrange a chemical called 4-Teritiary Butylcatchol (PTBC), available with a chemical factory in Gujarat that would help in containing the reaction at an early stage.

“The matter was discussed in the Home Ministry and within 20 minutes, the chemical was arranged and dispatched from the Daman airport to Visakhapatnam,” a senior government official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the steps taken in response to the incident. The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Ministers of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai and G. Kishan Reddy.

 

Dr. Randeep Guleria of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), who attended the meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chaired by Mr. Modi, told a press conference that the chances of a long-term impact on residents, similar to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, was less and it was an “illness that is universally not fatal.”

Dr. Guleria said that styrene could cause harm to humans by ingestion and inhalation. “Irritation in throat can lead to breathing difficulty, wheezing and respiratory distress. It affects the brain leading to headache, nausea, vomiting, unsteadiness and problems in walking. In cases of high exposure, it can lead to coma and an irregular heartbeat. Effect on skin is mild and can also affect eyes.”

He added that there was “no specific antidote and no treatment to reverse” its impact and the treatment was mostly supportive. “On exposure, clothes are to be removed, exposed eyes can be washed with water….some will have to be put on ventilators. Many will require oxygen facility. Nebulization can also be given. In serious cases, steroids have been given. This is an illness that is not universally fatal.”

S.N Pradhan, Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said around 250 families were evacuated from around the plant and a “door to door” survey was on. A specialised team was being sent from Pune. The first responders were the local police and the fire brigade officials.

 

“Due to continued spray of water, the inflammability of the chemical has lessened. How many kilos of gas has leaked is a matter of investigation. The gas has an impact of 6-7 hours and it had been leaking since 2.30 a.m., so the impact has lessened by now,” he said.

NDMA member Kamal Kishore said about 1,000 people living in nearby areas of the factory have been exposed to the gas leak.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.