Three bodies were kept in front of company gate

The Telugu Desam and Left workers spoke with the villagers following which three bodies were brought down from the ambulance and kept in front of the gate. The parents of N. Grisma, 11, one of the victims of the gas leak, proceeded with the body to the village.

The locals gathered in large numbers and started raising slogans demanding justice and shifting of the LG plant. The relatives and protesters refused to cremate the bodies till the ministers returned and announced the decision to shift the factory.

At one stage, the DGP tried to negotiate with a few people and asked them to come inside the factory premises. A woman, however, jumped over the gate and opened it forcibly, allowing the protesters to barge in. She then tried to fall on the DGP’s feet but was taken away by the police. She pleaded with him to use his good offices and get the factory shifted. Police maintained utmost restrain and did not use any force to disperse the crowds.

“How will the company operate in the same location after such a massive incident? The unit should be shifted to another place. There is still a huge quantity of poisonous gases in the premises. The world witnessed how much damage has been done. Children, women and the aged suffered and some lost their lives,” said N. Jyothi Jagadeesh, a resident.

The ruling YSRC came down heavily on TD Naidu for sending his cadres to the factory and organising a dharna. Referring to Mr Naidu’s statement that CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy cannot bring back lives of people by paying a compensation of `1 crore, the minister asked why he had announced ex gratia of `3 lakh to the victims of the stampede in the Godavari Pushkaralu in Rajahmundry during his tenure as Chief Minister. The minister criticised Mr Naidu for paying a meagre compensation of `10 lakh each to the kin of victims of an earlier gas leak in East Godavari.