LG Group chairman Koo Gwang-mo apologised on Wednesday for two deadly accidents at LG Chem facilities in the past two weeks, including a gas leak in India that killed 12 people. LG Group is the fourth-biggest of the chaebols, the family-controlled conglomerates that dominate business in South Korea, the world’s 12th-largest economy.

LG Chem, the group’s key subsidiary and South Korea’s largest chemical company, is reeling from the deadly gas leak at its LG Polymers India subsidiary, which left 12 residents dead and saw more than 1,000 hospitalised.

On Wednesday, a fire broke out at LG Chem’s plant in Seosan, around 120 kilometres south of Seoul, killing a researcher and injuring two workers. “I express my deep condolences and consolation to victims and their families,” Koo said at the Seosan plant, according to Yonhap news agency.

“I am very sorry for causing concern to many people,” Koo added, noting that management felt “heavy responsibility” for the safety accidents.

The gas reportedly started leaking around 2:30 am on May 7 when the workers were preparing to reopen the plant after it remained shut since the COVID-19 lockdown announced on March 25. The incident of styrene gas leakage occurred in RR Venkatapuram village, Gopalapatnam Mandal in Visakhapatnam District. It affected the surrounding villages namely Narava, BC Colony, Bapuji Nagar, Kampalapalem and Krishna Nagar.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT)slapped an interim penalty of Rs 50 crore on LG Polymers India and sought response from the Centre and others in the gas leak incident in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, which 11 people have died and hundreds were admitted in the hospital. NGT said that “there appears to be a failure to comply with the said rules and other statutory provisions”.

LG Chem produces petrochemicals, plastic resins, and engineering plastics, and has plants across South Korea and around the world, from the United States and Brazil to China and Australia. The company also manufactures industrial and electronic materials and has emerged as one of the top battery suppliers for hybrid and electric cars, with customers including Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Volkswagen, and BMW.