Amid the ongoing Coronavirus chaos, a major gas leak in Visakhapatnam-based company LG Polymers has cost 13 lives so far and hundreds have been injured.
The event has starked panic reminiscent of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
The gas tragedy in Bhopal left more than 500,000 people exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, while the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) estimates that around 1,000 people have been affected by the current crisis.
Amid the ongoing Coronavirus chaos, a major gas leak in Visakhapatnam-based company LG Polymers has cost 13 lives so far and hundreds have been injured. It’s not surprising that the event has starked panic reminiscent of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, which happened in 1984. The impact was such that the entire neighbourhood — up to a five-kilometre radius — is currently being evacuated.
The Municipal Corporation has asked the residents to use wet masks or cloth to cover their mouth and nose to restrain the poisonous Styrene or PVC gas. According to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), PVC gas (or Styrene) — which is used to make plastic — leaked from the plant. The exposure to the gas results in skin irritation, itchy eyes, chest congestion, vomiting and even death.
According to the Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar Meena, Styrene is "non-poisonous" and is only fatal when exposed to longer duration. MIC, on the other hand, is highly toxic.
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Metric
Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Visakhapatnam gas leak
Gas leak happened
December 3, 1984
May 6, 2020
Chemical
Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas
Styrene gas
Chemical company
US-based Union Carbide
South Korean LG Polymers
Total Deaths
3,787
13 (so far)
Exposed to the gas
More than 500,000
More than 1,000
As per reports, as many as 3,787 people were reported dead in Bhopal. However, independent studies estimate that at least 8,000 died within the span of two weeks and eventually 8,000 more were reported dead due to the gas-related diseases.
The government and private hospitals in Visakhapatnam are admitting hundreds of patients who were exposed to the gas. They have symptoms like breathlessness, headaches and frequent vomiting.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu has demanded that a probe be conducted to determine who is accountable. An FIR has been filed against LG Chemicals, the parent company of LG Polymers, to investigate the issue. "The plant was strictly following all protocols. Investigation underway. Forensic teams are also being sent to the spot," Andhra Pradesh DGP Damodar Goutam told ANI.
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