Chemical leak at LG plant in India kills 8, nearly 1,000 ill

AKIPRESS.COM - A chemical gas leaked from an industrial plant in southern India early Thursday, leaving people struggling to breathe and collapsing in the streets as they tried to flee. At least eight people were killed and nearly 1,000 suffered breathing difficulties and other reactions, AP news reports. The synthetic chemical styrene leaked from the LG Polymers plant in a city on India's Bay of Bengal coast while workers were preparing to restart the plant after the coronavirus lockdown was eased, Administrator Vinay Chand said.
A fire that broke out before the gas leak has been extinguished, and police said the gas leak was later stopped and the air had cleared.
Chand said several people fainted on the road and were rushed to a hospital.
Nearly 100 people are hospitalized in non-life-threatening condition, Police Commissioner R.K. Meena said.
The dead included an 8-year-old girl. Meena said one person died falling into a well while running away and another person died after he jumped from the second story of his house to escape. The others died in a hospital
South Korean company LG Chem operates the plant in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh state. The company said it is cooperating with Indian authorities to help residents and employees.
"The gas leakage is now under control, but the leaked gas can cause nausea and dizziness, so we are investing every effort to ensure proper treatment is provided swiftly," LG Chem said in a statement.
LG Chem is looking into what caused the leak of styrene monomer gas, which is used for producing plastic, but wouldn't exactly know until Indian authorities complete their investigation, company official Song Chun-seob said.
It employs around 300 workers at the Vishakhapatnam plant, but Song said the victims mostly appeared to be local residents.
Nearly 1,000 people in an area of 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) complained of breathing difficulties and burning sensation in their eyes, Chand said.