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| Panic in Indian village after major toxic gas leak kills at least 5, dozens hospitalized (GRAPHIC PHOTOS & VIDEO) | Panic in Indian village after major toxic gas leak kills at least 5, dozens hospitalized (GRAPHIC PHOTOS & VIDEO) |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A gas leak at a chemical plant in India has killed several people and put nearly 200 in hospital with breathing difficulties. Chilling images have emerged showing victims lying motionless on the ground in the wake of the tragedy. | |
| Two elderly residents and a seven-year-old girl have reportedly perished in the gas leak, which emitted from the LG Polymers plant near Visakhapatnam in the eastern state of Andhra Pradesh early on Thursday morning, according to local reports. The gas, believed to be Styrene, is highly toxic when inhaled in high enough concentrations. There have been conflicting reports as to the number of victims, which continues to rise. AFP reported that the accident claimed the lives of at least 5 people, citing police, while some local outlets have put the figure even higher, at 8 deaths and some 5,000 sickened. | |
| “People have passed out after inhaling the gas. Even our [police personnel] eyes are still burning and we feel nauseous,” Gopalapatnam Sub-Inspector Venkat Rao told the local media. | |
| The aftermath of the leak was captured in photos and videos that have circulated on social media, some of them highly graphic, showing a number of victims laying on the ground apparently struggling to breathe. It is unclear whether they are merely unconscious or succumbed to the gas. | The aftermath of the leak was captured in photos and videos that have circulated on social media, some of them highly graphic, showing a number of victims laying on the ground apparently struggling to breathe. It is unclear whether they are merely unconscious or succumbed to the gas. |
| Other harrowing images showed what appeared to be lifeless bodies in a nearby canal, as well as dead livestock with a white foamy substance around their mouths strewn about the area, while some local reports published images of children affected in the massive leak. | |
| Up to 170 people have already been admitted to nearby hospitals, while an unspecified number were brought to private hospitals in Gopalapuram, local media reported, adding that between 1,500 and 2,000 beds had been prepared in total. A municipal official also took to Twitter on Thursday morning saying the leak occurred around 2:30am, and that “hundreds” had either fallen unconscious or experienced trouble breathing after inhaling the toxic chemical. Some victims also developed headaches, bouts of vomiting and a burning sensation in their eyes. | Up to 170 people have already been admitted to nearby hospitals, while an unspecified number were brought to private hospitals in Gopalapuram, local media reported, adding that between 1,500 and 2,000 beds had been prepared in total. A municipal official also took to Twitter on Thursday morning saying the leak occurred around 2:30am, and that “hundreds” had either fallen unconscious or experienced trouble breathing after inhaling the toxic chemical. Some victims also developed headaches, bouts of vomiting and a burning sensation in their eyes. |
| The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) issued a warning for residents, stating “There is gas leakage identified at LG Polymers ... Requesting citizens around these locations not to come out of houses for the sake of safety precautions.” The GVMC also advised locals to use a “wet mask” or cloth to avoid inhaling the gas. | |
| The exact cause of the leak at the facility– owned by South Korean battery manufacturer LG Chemical Ltd. – has yet to be determined, but rescue teams have been deployed to the area to assist residents. LG Chemical has so far offered no comment on the incident. | |
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