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| India gas leak: At least eight dead after Visakhapatnam accident | India gas leak: At least eight dead after Visakhapatnam accident |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Eight people have died, with hundreds of others taken ill, after a gas leak in south India. | Eight people have died, with hundreds of others taken ill, after a gas leak in south India. |
| The leak, in the city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state, has been traced to the LG Polymers plant. | The leak, in the city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state, has been traced to the LG Polymers plant. |
| Doctors say "hundreds" of people have been taken to hospital - many complaining of a burning sensation in the eyes and difficulties breathing. | Doctors say "hundreds" of people have been taken to hospital - many complaining of a burning sensation in the eyes and difficulties breathing. |
| The incident, which took place around 03:00 local time (21:30 GMT), may have been due to negligence, officials say. | The incident, which took place around 03:00 local time (21:30 GMT), may have been due to negligence, officials say. |
| The leak occurred when the plant was being re-opened for the first time since 24 March when India went into lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. | The leak occurred when the plant was being re-opened for the first time since 24 March when India went into lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. |
| The state Industries Minister Goutam Reddy told BBC Telugu that it looked as though proper procedures and guidelines were not followed when the plant was being re-opened. | The state Industries Minister Goutam Reddy told BBC Telugu that it looked as though proper procedures and guidelines were not followed when the plant was being re-opened. |
| Swaroop Rani, a senior police official in Visakhapatnam, told AFP that the plant had been left idle because of the lockdown. | |
| "[The gas] was left there because of the lockdown. It led to a chemical reaction and heat was produced inside the tanks, and the gas leaked because of that." | |
| Local villagers complained around 03:30 and police immediately went to the scene, but had to quickly retreat for fear of being poisoned, the news agency quoted her as saying. | |
| "One could feel the gas in the air and it was not possible for any of us to stay there for more than a few minutes," she said. | |
| As the gas spread, residents ran out of their homes in panic. Distressing images of people fainting and dropping unconscious on the streets are being shared on social media. | |
| Some factory employees are believed to have been inside when the leak occurred, but officials say they have no information about them. | Some factory employees are believed to have been inside when the leak occurred, but officials say they have no information about them. |
| It is feared that the fumes have spread over a radius of about 3km (2 miles) and officials have been evacuating people from surrounding areas. | It is feared that the fumes have spread over a radius of about 3km (2 miles) and officials have been evacuating people from surrounding areas. |
| A district health official said at least 1,000 people had been sent to hospitals and many others were feared to be unconscious in their homes. | |
| "There are people who were sleeping," AFP quoted BK Naik as saying. "We are working to get people to the hospital. They need oxygenation and fresh air," he said. | |
| A senior district official said that initial attempts to control the gas leak were unsuccessful. However, local news agencies have reported that the situation is now under control. | A senior district official said that initial attempts to control the gas leak were unsuccessful. However, local news agencies have reported that the situation is now under control. |
| Meanwhile, Rajendra Reddy, a senior official in the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, told the BBC that the leaked gas was styrene, which is usually refrigerated. | Meanwhile, Rajendra Reddy, a senior official in the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, told the BBC that the leaked gas was styrene, which is usually refrigerated. |
| "We are trying to understand the long-term impact of the chemical on those who have inhaled it during the leak," he said. | "We are trying to understand the long-term impact of the chemical on those who have inhaled it during the leak," he said. |
| In the meantime, officials have asked people to protect themselves by covering their faces with a wet cloth. | In the meantime, officials have asked people to protect themselves by covering their faces with a wet cloth. |
| India has a tragic history of gas leaks. | India has a tragic history of gas leaks. |
| In 1984, a toxic chemical leak in a pesticide plant in the central city of Bhopal killed thousands of people, in what is acknowledged to be the world's worst industrial disaster. | |
| More than 35 years later, victims say children are still being born with disabilities because of the effects of the methyl isocyanate gas spill. | |
| Reporting by BBC Telugu's Satish Balla and Deepthi Bathini | Reporting by BBC Telugu's Satish Balla and Deepthi Bathini |
| What is Styrene and how can exposure affect humans? | |
| Information from the PHE Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards and US Environment Protection Agency | Information from the PHE Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards and US Environment Protection Agency |