DAWN OF DEATH
FIR lodged against LG Polymers; UN calls for probe MINI BHOPAL: 13 dead, 1000 exposed by gas leak near Visakhapatnam at polymer plant owned by South Korean giant
Unconscious children being carried by parents in their arms, women and children lying on sidewalks gasping for breath, health workers scrambling to attend to those affected by the styrene vapour leak and residents fleeing, were some of the scenes that played out near Visakhapatnam on Thursday, bringing back grim memories of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.
The gas leak at a chemical plant in the early hours on Tuesday spread in no time, affecting almost everyone present in a fivekilometre radius, killing at least 13 and impacting about 1,000, many collapsing as they tried to escape the toxic vapours. Twenty-five persons are understood to be critical and on ventilator support.
The leak of styrene, a chemical used to make synthetic rubber and resins, occurred just as L G Polymers’ plant was getting ready to reopen after the lockdown. Authorities are still to respond to the charge why the unit was allowed to resume operations, even though it manufactures non-essential items. The plant was established in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers and taken over by LG Chem (South Korea) in July 1997.
The worst-hit Gopalapatnam village reverberated with cries for help but there was nobody for miles to respond. Many people died in their sleep. Those who had a fighting chance fled, but collapsed in no time. Among the dead was a child and two others who fell into a bore well.
Rescue officers and police personnel rushed to ferry the affected to the hospitals in auto rickshaws and on two wheelers. It was sometime before 20 ambulances pressed into service reached the distressed.
Even as helpless onlookers watched, many fell like flies to the ground after staggering to safety, dazed and disoriented.
Exposure to styrene can affect the central nervous system, causing headache, fatigue, weakness, and depression. The long-term effects is another matter.
Taking stock of the situation, PM Modi said he had spoken to officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority. "I pray for everyone's safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam," Modi said in a tweet. Later, authorities claimed the leak had been minimised and NDRF personnel would be at the spot till it is totally plugged.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has ordered a probe into the matter. One of the questions to be looked into is how the gas leaked and why the neutraliser at the plant did not prove effective in containing the leak. The chief minister has announced Rs 1 crore relief to the kin of each deceased.
Though the source of the leak was contained in the morning itself, the effects were seen for many hours after. Daybreak revealed the full magnitude of the tragedy. Hundreds of villagers, most of them children, suffered from irritation in their eyes, breathlessness, nausea and rashes. Ever yone helped as they could, some offering first aid, others water, dabbing and wiping people's faces. In disturbing visuals from the spot that flashed across news and social media, a man, his eyes rolling back, was being put into an ambulance. Another just slumped on the ground near a scooter, stunned and looking dazed. Two children hugged each other as a rescue worker tried to revive a woman, possibly their mother. People could also be seen sitting on the kerb, tr ying to recount the events of the morning. Cattle and birds were also knocked unconscious by the leak.
The grim scenes brought back images of the Bhopal gas leak, the world's worst industrial disaster in which more than 3,000 people were killed and lakhs affected. The accident impacted the movement of trains from Visakhapatnam, including at least nine Shramik Special Trains which were taking migrants.