Vizag gas leak Updates: Andhra govt to airlift 500 kgs of PTBC from Daman to neutralise chemical; special NDRF team to fly in from Pune

Centre to fly in special NDRF team from Pune 

Water sprinklers to be brought in to dissipate emmited gas completely: Vizag collector

Vizag's district magistrate said that the emmission hasn't stopped completely and at around 9.30 am, the concentration of the gas was found to be around 1-2.5.  "We need to monitor the situation for the next 48 hours to see if we are in safe zone.  For it to reach to safety level- the emission has to come to zero. The emissions are still continuing to happen. Once it comes to zero, it requires further 12 hours to completely leave the area. Water sprinkler will be brought in to try to reduce it to zero." 

Narendra Modi chairs meet of NDMA on Vizag situation

Amit Shah terms incident 'disturbing', says home ministry closely monitoring situation

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday described the gas leak at a chemical plant in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam as "disturbing" and said the central government is closely monitoring the situation. He said he is praying for the well-being of the people of Visakhapatnam.

500 kgs of PTBC to be airlifted from Daman by AP govt to neutralise gas leakage

About 500 kg of Para-tertiary butyl catechol (PTBC) chemical will be airlifted from Daman by Andhra Pradesh government for neutralizing the gas leakage in Visakhapatnam plant, said Ashwani Kumar, Secretary to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani reports ANI.

After the request of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has orders to chemical companies in Vapi to send the chemical by road to Daman, he said. 

Andhra Pradesh CM orders probe into Vizag gas leak

Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has ordered a detailed inquiry into the gas leak. Special CS, Secretary Industries, Secretary PCB, Collector, CP are to a part of the team. 

All expenses to be paid by Andhra govt, says CM; announces 15,000 villagers to be given Rs 10,000

All expenses related to the Vizag gas leak will be borne by the Andhra Pradesh government, 15,000 people in and around the plant will be given Rs 10,000 financial help, said chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy.

He also announced compensation for farmers whose livestock died due to the gas leak. Rs 25,000 will be paid for each animal killed due to mishap

Jagan announces Rs 1 crore ex-gratia families of deceased, Rs 1 lakh to those hospitalised

Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Thursday during a media briefing announced that the state government will be giving a compensation of Rs one crore to families of the deceased. 

The Andhra Pradesh government will be providing Rs 25,000 to those who received primary care treatment due to the Vizag gas leak. Those who received 2-3 days of treatment will get Rs 1 lakh, and those on ventilator support to be given Rs 10 lakh.

He said: "We will take a decision on what kind of action should be taken against the company. Right after the gas leak happened, by 5 am, the Collector, police, and ambulances were on the ground."

JUST IN:  Toll due to gas leak in Visakhapatnam rises to 11

AIIMS says chances of long-term impact are less

Dr Guleria of AIIMS during a joint press conference with NDMA, NDRD said that the effects of the gas were dependent on the degree of exposure. "The treatment is supportive only. Some will need to be put on a ventilator. For acute lung injury, steroids may be given."

"Chances of long-term impact are less, but we will have to follow up and see. Data doesn't suggest significant long-term impact." he added

Over 200 to 50 families evacuated affected zone, says NDRF

SN Pradhan, NDRF DG addressed the media on the situation in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. He said, "The incident happened at around 2:30 am. The initial movement was from the local administration. Around 5:30, the local NDRF unit was informed and it immediately rushed and was there within half-an-hour. About 200-250 families were evacuated."

He furhter said that ass things stand, the toll is 9 and there are some people who are critical but most people have been given first aid and they are generally fine. "NDRF will continue to be on the site till the leakage is totally plugged. Additionally, an expert team of NDRF will be flying in from Pune. As of now, things are under control." he said.

Nearly 1,000 people exposed to gas, says NDMA

Detailed press briefing on it to be held at National Media Centre in Delhi has begun. Nearly 1,000 people have been exposed to the gas. Styrene has leaked out of the factory, said NDMA. 

NDMA DG to brief media on gas leak situation shortly

DG of National Disaster Management Authority, and its members will be addressing the media on the gas leak that took place at LG Polymers Plant in Visakhapatnam at 2.15 pm on Thursday. Director AIIMS will also be present at the meeting.

Indian Navy gives 5 more portable multi-feed oxygen sets to hospital treating gas leak victims

The Indian Navy has provided five more portable multi-feed oxygen manifold sets to King George Hospital. Technical teams from Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam (NDV) are at KGH to assist in quick installation to provide oxygen to a large number of patients affected by a gas leak from LG Polymers Visakhapatnam, Indian Navy officials told ANI.

The Portable Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold system was designed to enable one jumbo size Oxygen Bottle to supply Oxygen to six patients concurrently for COVID-19 Pandemic. 25 such sets were provided to District Administration for use in COVID Designated hospitals earlier, the officials added.

JUST IN: Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has reached Visakhapatnam to assess situation regarding the LG Polymers gas leak

Reports of second leak are false, says AP Police

The Andhra Pradesh Police took to Twitter to clarify that reports of a second leak from the LG Polymers plant are false. "Maintenance team was repairing the system and some vapour was let out. There is NO second leak," the tweet read.

Spread of poisonous vapours depends on wind speed, says report

The spread of styrene monomer vapours in the air depends on the wind speed and currently, all personnel are working to neutralise the air with chemicals such as 4-tert-Butylcatechol (TBC), a senior official of the Department of Factories told Times of India on Thursday.

Telangana CM expresses shock over incident, offers condolences to victim's families

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed shock over the gas leak incident at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and offered condolences to the families of the deceased, reports PTI. Describing the incident as very unfortunate, Rao wished for speedy recovery of those who fell ill due to the gas leak, an official release said.

JP Nadda condoles deaths in mishap, urges party workers to provide relief to affected

Bharatiya Janata Party national President JP Nadda on Thursday expressed grief over the deaths in the Visakhapatnam gas leak mishap and called on party workers to provide all possible relief to the affected in coordination with the administration.

TDP demands probe into gas leak incident, asks Centre to shut polymer unit

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday demanded a probe into the gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam and asked the Centre to immediately shut down the chemical plant from where styrene vapour leaked.

Naidu urged the Centre to immediately send medical experts to the district as it may not have the required expertise to treat people affected with styrene gas. 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.

At least 10 killed due to gas leak

According to the latest reports by TOI, News18 and local reports the toll has risen to 10 due to the Vizag gas leak so far.

While ANI maintains that 8 people have been killed due to the incident, as told by Andhra Pradesh DGP Damodar Goutam Sawang.

South Korean company managing plant has to be held responsible: AP industries minister

Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy told News18: "We’ve written to the Korean embassy seeking an explanation from Company senior management. A gas leak happened, that should not have. So, the company is at fault- no matter what. The company senior management has not yet given an explanation to us. Middlemen are in touch. We’ve asked industries to prepare themselves to operate — so they were on with basic staff. The company has to present an explanation for the government. Stringent action will be taken on them post inquiry."

LG Chem says gas leak under control, investigating cause of incident

Train movement near Vishakapatnam halted due to gas leak, says report 

All train movement has been stopped near Vishakhapatnam due to the gas leakage from the plant near Simhachalam station. Trains being diverted and some being regulated reports News18.

Pawan Kalyan demands financial help for victims, calls for 'Industrial safety audit'

Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan has expressed his concern towards the gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam. Actor turned politician demanded for an ‘Industrial safety audit’ to be conducted in Visakhapatnam and North Coastal Andhra. While demanding to help the victims financially, Pawan Kalyan has sought the state government to focus on the security in such industries and check the pollution level.

He has alerted the officials concerned to see that poisonous gases that emit from such chemical industries should not take a toll on people

He also said: "Two of our General Secretaries ( Sri.Shiv Shankar & Sri Bolisetti Satya ) who hails from North coastal Andhra are monitoring the gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam."

Gas leak took place as plastic factory was being prepared for resumption of work, says NDRF

The gas leak incident in Vishakhapatnam took place as a plastic factory, that was closed during lockdown, was being prepared for resumption of operations, the NDRF chief told PTI on Thursday. About 80-100 people have been hospitalised after a gas, Styrene, leaked in the area at about 2:30 am, NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said.

He said a special gas leakage team of the force is on the spot and checking on people who are feeling uneasy. This is Styrene gas that affects the central nervous system, throat, skin, eyes and some other parts of the body, he said.

"I think what we understand is that this plastic factory was being re-started for operations and the gas leaked after an accident occurred," he said.

CM enquires about gas leak, leaves for Vizag to visit site, says report

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has enquired about the gas leak and is expected to visit the port city to obtain a first-hand account of the disaster, report The Hindu. He has instructed the Collector to take necessary rescue and relief measures and to shift the people to safety. 

Administration doing its best to bring situation under control, says president

President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday addressed the gas leak that happened at the LG Polymers Industry in Visakhapatnam. Taking to Twitter, he said: "Saddened by the news of gas leak in a plant near Visakhapatnam which has claimed several lives. My condolences to the families of the victims. I pray for the recovery of the injured and the safety of all."

He also noted that the administration was doing its best to bring the situation under control at the earliest.

MoS G Kishan Reddy pays condolences to people who died, says 'continuously' monitoring situation

MoS Home G Kishan Reddy paid condolences to the people who died on Thursday due to the gas leak and said that he was continuously monitoring the situation. “My condolences to the families of 5 people who passed away due to gas leak at a private firm in Vizag, AP early hours today. Spoke to the CS and DGP of AP to take stock of the situation. Instructed NDRF teams to provide necessary relief measures. I’m continuously monitoring the situation,” he tweeted.

People in 5 km radius affected, says report

Minister of State G Kishan Reddy spoke to Chief Secretary and DGP of Andhra Pradesh and extended all from Centre to deal with the tragedy.

According to latest update, people living in five kilometres radius have been affected, an official told The Hindu. Seeing that the government hospital is up to capacity with the coronavirus outbreak, Reddy has asked the Chief Secretary to use private hospitals for treatment.

Hundreds of people have inhaled styrene gas, says GVMC commissioner

The commissioner of the Visakhapatnam city corporation said styrene leaked from the plant during the early hours of the morning, when families in the surrounding villages were asleep.

"Hundreds of people have inhaled it and either fell unconscious or having breathing issues," Srijana Gummalla, Commissioner, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation said on Twitter.

Andhra Pradesh sets up response helpdesk to gas leak

Andhra Pradesh minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy has said that a helpdesk is being set up for response to the Vizag gas leak. "A dedicated team will provide all the required assistance and also our Department team is on-site, manning rescue operations. Request all, not to panic, and help us tide over this." Helpline numbers in the following tweet:

Take up rescue ops on war footing, says Andhra guv

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan expressed shock over the Vizag gas leak. According to ANI, he has ordered officials to take up rescue operations on war footage. He also suggested to avail services of red cross volunteers in the evacuation. He ordered the Visakhapatnam Red Cross unit to constitute medical camps.

IMAGES: NDRF carrying out on-site for evacuation and relief operations

VIDEO: Several animals are seen lying dead or unconscious near the site of gas leak 

Narendra Modi speaks to Andra CM; assures him of help, support from Centre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding the Vizag gas leak. He assured Reddy of all help and support to the public from the Centre

Gas leaked from two 5,000 tonne tanks, says report

ACP West Zone Visakhapatnam told News18 that the gas was leaked out from two 5,000 tonne tanks, which had been unattended since March due to the COVID-19 lockdown. "It leads to a chemical reaction, and the heat was produced inside the tanks, which causes leakage."

All assistance being offered from Centre: MOS G Kishan Reddy

MOS Home G Kishan Reddy has spoken to Andhra DGP and Chief secretary on the gas leak in Vizag. He has also spoken to the Union Home secretary. All assistance from the Centre is being offered says MOS.

JUST IN: According to NDTV, News18 eight people have died, over 300 are hospitalised and more than 5,000 have fallen sick due to the gas leak so far.

NDRF working with state government, says Nirmala Sitharaman 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the NDRF was working with Andhra Pradesh government in response to the Vizag gas leak, in a tweet on Thursday. 

Toll rises to seven; over 200 hospitalised

At least 5, including child dead after gas leak; FIR registered against company

According to ANI, a total of five persons, including a child have died in the incident. RK Meena, CP Visakhapatnam City told ANI that the gas leak has been neutralised. "NDRF team has reached the spot. The maximum impact was in about 1-1.5 km but the smell was in 2-2.5 kilometres. Hundred to 120 people have been shifted to the hospital. FIR has been registered against the company," he said.

Primary report suggests polyvinyl chloride gas leaked from plant early morning

The primary report is that polyvinyl chloride gas, (reports say that it may Styrene as well) had leaked from LG Polymers, Vepagunta near Gopalapatnam in Visakhapatnam at around 2:30 am on Thursday morning, reports News18. 

Visakhapatnam civic body issues guidelines for people living near the gas plant

 The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation has issued guidelines for people nearby the site of the incident. "Please use wet cloth as mask to cover mouth and nose" it read.

Over 200 hospitalised in Vishakapatnam say reports

Over 200 are reported to have fallen sick though several media reports pegged the number at 1,000. People are being taken to the hospital after they complained of a burning sensation in their eyes and breathing difficulties.

At least 5 dead after gas leak in Vizag