7 dead, hundreds sick by LG Polymers plant gas leakage

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An accidental leakage of styrene gas early this morning at Korean company LG Polymers’ Visakhapatnam plant left a minimum of seven persons, including a toddler , dead. Another 1,000 people were reported sick at the time of filing of this report.

People awakened in horror with breathlessness and a burning sensation in their eyes because the emission spread to the adjoining villages at around 3.30 am. Some fell unconscious while fleeing, consistent with eyewitness accounts.

King George Hospital’s G Arjuna said a high concentration of gas near the leakage point and a extended period of inhalation by people once they were asleep made them sick.

As many as 3,000 people were evacuated to safe places and a minimum of 250 were admitted to varied hospitals, consistent with initial reports. Those in critical condition were placed on oxygen support.

Vizag collector Vinay Chand said the administration rushed ambulances and other vehicles to evacuate people soon after receiving the knowledge at around 4 am. Efforts were still on to contain the leakage completely.
Established in 1969, the LG Polymers factory produces hypol and EPS polymers, polystyrene, expandable polystyrene and other styrene polymers, consistent with the company’s website. The Indian subsidiary of South Korea’s LG Chem had taken it over 15 years ago.

The plant had been shut for 40 days thanks to the nationwide lockdown effective to stop the spread of coronavirus. The leakage is believed to possess taken place when the plant’s employees were preparing to reopen it following some recent relaxations announced by the govt .

Chronic exposure to styrene in humans can affect the central systema nervosum (CNS), causing headache, fatigue, weakness, depression and CNS dysfunction, deafness , and peripheral neuropathy.

This articale taken refrence from business-standard

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