The gas reportedly started leaking around 2:30 am on May 7, when the workers were preparing to reopen the plant today after it remained shut since the COVID-19 lockdown announced on March 25.
Ignoring these factors at the start, and intentionally turning a blind eye to them at the initial stage and during operation is risky. As a result, sustainable development has been endangered.
Chemical disaster experts of the NDRF and NEERI had been flown in along with the consignment of PTBC and they visited the spot for assessing the situation.
The second leak came after a gas identified as Styrene got leaked from the plant of LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd in Venkatapuram at around 3:30 am, killing 11 people including a child.
Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PK Mishra on Thursday held a meeting with Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary, NDRF, NDMA, Director AIIMS and medical experts on the incident of gas leak in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam and also directed to send a team of experts and measures for relief and rescue work.
The NHRC said it has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports about the death of eleven people and thousand others falling sick due to leakage of styrene gas in the district early morning.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Andhra Pradesh government and Centre in connection with the gas leak.
In a letter to Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal, Naidu also asked the Centre to deploy veterinary experts to treat animals affected by the toxic gas.
