As a suffocating toxic gas from a chemical plant rose into the Southern Indian atmosphere after a leak from a chemical plant, bodies laid on the ground alongside their motorcycles that have fallen onto their sides and cars that have stopped moving, early Thursday morning.
As seen on the footage that was taken from the scene, hundreds of people fleeing from the site of the gas leak filled the roads in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Most of these people are carrying colleagues and friends who were unconscious on their shoulders as they try to stay awake while gasping for air to breathe and move into a safer place.
According to CNN, after a few minutes, rescuers from the country's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) arrived at the scene wearing gas masks and hazmat suits. Some helped others evacuate while others were seen carrying limp bodies in their arms.
It was reported that at least 11 people have been confirmed dead after inhaling the toxic chemical and there are hundreds more who are in the hospital. The incident happened at an LG polymers plant near a village which is home to at least 3,000 people on the edge of the Indian city of Visakhapatnam.
Majority of those who died just lost consciousness and fell down where they stood. Some of them were either driving or standing on the terraces outside their homes. There are also others who were asleep when they inhaled the gas and just slipped into unconsciousness, as stated by Andhra Pradesh's minister for Industries, Commerce, and Information Technology, Mekapati Goutham Reddy. He also added that three of the 11 confirmed deaths were children.
Based on a report by The Guardian, there were approximately 1,000 people who were directly exposed to the gas. According to Kamal Kishore of the National Disaster Management Authority, out of the said number at least 20-25 are now in critical but stable condition.
The Culprit
The gas that took lives and sent hundreds of people to the hospital was identified as Styrene. It is a flammable liquid which is common in making industrial products such as polystyrene, rubber, fiberglass, and latex.
According to the managing director of the state's NDRF, K Kanna Babu, at least 285 individuals are now confined in hospitals. These people were taken to the nearest facilities across the city so that they can be treated for toxic gas exposure.
Furthermore, Babu also stated that they received a call around 3:30 in the morning and was notified only around 5:30. They arrived at the scene at 6 AM but they could not immediately enter because of the strong and pungent smell of the gas, thus they had to wait for at least 30 minutes before they started to evacuate people.
The gas was said to have come out of the factory's chimney and was carried by the wind all over the city.
What Happened?
As of the moment, it remains unclear what caused the leak. However, it was noted that the plant had recently re-opened as the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 were eased. The plant is owned by LG Chem a South Korean company and the leak was said to have occurred during the re-starting of equipment for operation of the chemical plant.
