A chemical gas leaked from an industrial plant in Andhra Pradesh early on Thursday, leaving people struggling to breathe and collapsing in the streets as they tried to flee.
At least nine people were killed and nearly 1,000 suffered breathing difficulties and other reactions.
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About 80-100 people were hospitalised after the incident which occurred at about 2:30 am, NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said. Local revenue official BV Rani told news agency Reuters that she got a call at around 4 am from a panicking police sub-inspector near the facility.
Here is all you need to know about the plant from where the gas leaked:
• The plant is owned by South Korean company LG Chem. The company said in a statement that it is looking into what caused the leak of styrene monomer gas and is cooperating with authorities.
• Around 300 workers are employed at the Visakhapatnam plant, an LG Chem officials said.
• The plant is located around 14 kilometers away from Visakhapatnam city. Areas within an approximately 3-kilometre radius of the plant are vulnerable, the municipal corporation said.
{{/usCountry}}• The plant is located around 14 kilometers away from Visakhapatnam city. Areas within an approximately 3-kilometre radius of the plant are vulnerable, the municipal corporation said.
{{/usCountry}}• The company was making arrangements for reopening the plant from Thursday after more than 40 days of closure when the incident occurred.
• LG Chem, South Korea’s top petrochemical maker by capacity, took over the facility previously owned by Hindustan Polymers and renamed it as LG Polymers India Private Limited (LGPI) in July, 1997, according to a company website.
• Originally set up in 1961, as Hindustan Polymers for manufacturing polystyrene and its co-polymers, the company was merged with McDowell & Co Ltd of UB Group in 1978. It ultimately became part of the South Korean group LG Chemical, in 1997.
• The LG Polymers plant makes polystyrene products, according to a company website, which are used in manufacturing electric fan blades, cups and cutlery and containers for cosmetic products such as make up.
(With inputs from Reuters and PTI)