Poisonous gas leakage at Indian pharmaceutical chemical plant wreaks havoc
Fatal incident
The chemical gas leak at an LG Polymers plant in southern India on killed at least nine people, and emergency services rushed more than 300 to hospital and evacuated hundreds more from nearby areas, a police official in Andhra Pradesh said.
3 km radius area
The commissioner of the Visakhapatnam city corporation said styrene leaked from the plant during the early hours of the morning, around 3am, when families in the surrounding villages were asleep.
Areas within an approximately 3 km radius of the plant were vulnerable, the municipal corporation said in a tweet.
Hundreds evacuated
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnels along with police rushed more than 300 people to hospital and evacuated hundreds more from nearby areas.
Burning sensation
Residents near the chemical gas plant reported of burning sensation in their eyes and difficulty in breathing, officials said.
Chilling scenes
A number of victims lay unconscious the side of streets, as some volunteers fanned them and others rushed to carry them into ambulances.
PM conducts meeting
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) officials in the wake of the Visakhapatnam gas leak incident, in New Delhi along Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
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