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Gasaustritt von Visakhapatnam 2020

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Vorlage:Short description Vorlage:Use dmy dates Vorlage:Current Vorlage:Use Indian English Vorlage:Infobox news event The Visakhapatnam gas leak, also referred to as the Vizag gas leak, was an industrial accident that occurred at the LG Polymers chemical plant in R. R. Venkatapuram village near Gopalapatnam on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India on the morning of 7 May 2020. The leaked gas spread over a radius of about Vorlage:Convert, affecting the nearby areas and villages. Up until the evening of 7 May, the official death toll was 11, and more than 1000 people were affected.

According to preliminary reports, styrene gas, chemically known as ethenylbenzene, is suspected as the cause.[1][2]

Background

The chemical plant at Venkatapuram village was established in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers. It manufactures polystyrene and its co-polymer products as well as engineers plastic compounds. In 1978, it was merged with McDowell & Co. and later, was taken over by South Korea-based LG Chem, which renamed it as LG Polymers in 1997.[3]

Leakage and effects

Facilities and leakage

On 7 May 2020, the plant was re-opened following the lockdown implemented to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] The plant had Vorlage:Convert of styrene stored in tanks.[5] The tanks had been left unattended during lockdown.[6] Styrene monomer remains in liquid form at room temperature (20–22°C) and easily evaporates as the temperature increases above room temperature.[7] It was believed that a technical glitch in refrigeration unit of the tanks caused a mishap. This caused the temperature and vapour pressure to rise,[8] and between 2:30Vorlage:Nbspam and 3:00Vorlage:Nbspam, when maintenance activity was in progress, the gas leaked from the plant and spread to nearby villages and areas.[9][10][5][11]

Acute effects

Datei:Vizag Gas Leak Many feared killed after leak in chemical factory.webm
Unconscious people found in the streets after the accident

The fumes are believed to have spread over a radius of 3 kilometres.[12][5][13] Five villages — R. R. Venkatapuram, Padmapuram, BC Colony, Gopalapatnam and Kamparapalem are the most affected areas.[14] Hundreds of people have rushed to hospitals with breathing difficulties and burning sensation in the eyes.[4] Many had been found lying on the ground unconscious due to the effects of the gas. According to the initial estimate, at least 11 people had died.[12][15][16] More than 1000 people were reportedly exposed to the gas.[17]

Relief and rescue

Nearly 200-250 families from villages in a five-kilometre radius of the plant were evacuated. About 300 people were hospitalised, according to a media report.[10][17] The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy announced an ex-gratia of Vorlage:INRConvert for kin of deceased.[15] He further announced Vorlage:INRConvert to those who received primary treatment, Vorlage:INRConvert to those who received longer treatment, and Vorlage:INRConvert to those on ventilator support.[17]

To contain the spread of the gas and neutralise it, about 500 kg of para‐tertiary butyl catechol (PTBC) will be sent from Vapi in Gujarat to Daman by road from where it will be airlifted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and sent to site of accident. The Central Government sent a specialised CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) by air from Pune to the site.[18][17]

Investigation

According to initial investigation, a gas valve malfunction is believed to have caused the leak. The leak was from one of two chemical tanks that had been left unattended since March 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdown.[19] It led to a chemical reaction, and the heat was produced inside the tanks, which caused leakage. The leaked gas is suspected to be evaporated styrene. However, experts claimed that other chemicals might have also leaked, as styrene is unlikely to spread to 4 or 5 kilometers due to its chemical properties.[20][21][22][23][24]

An FIR was filed against the LG Chem by the local police under sections 278 (making the atmosphere noxious to health), 284 (negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life) and 304 (causing death by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).[14]

National Green Tribunal

A petition has been filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), demanding an investigation into the incident by a high-level committee.[25] A bench was formed comprising of NGT Chairperson, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, and was scheduled to take the case on 8 May 2020.[26]

Human Rights Commission

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notice to the state and the central governments over the accident. NHRC criticised the incident as gross violation of right to life. It had asked local government for a detailed report of the rescue operation and the medical treatment provided to the people who are fallen sick along with relief provided for the affected families.[27]

See also

References

Vorlage:Reflist

Vorlage:Disasters in India in 2020 Vorlage:Visakhapatnam topics Vorlage:Toxicology

  1. ↑ Andhra Pradesh Bureau: Visakhapatnam gas leak live updates: Jagan announces Rs. 1 crore relief In: The Hindu, 7. Mai 2020 (indisches Englisch). 
  2. ↑ Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry: IUPAC Recommendations and Preferred Names 2013 (Blue Book). Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge 2014, ISBN 978-0-85404-182-4, Front Matter, S. P001–P004, doi:10.1039/9781849733069-FP001.
  3. ↑ Thick air, pungent smell: How gas leakage tragedy unfolded at Visakhapatnam’s LG Polymers plant. In: The Indian Express. 7. Mai 2020, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  4. ↑ a b Hundreds injured and eight dead in Indian gas leak In: BBC News, 7. Mai 2020 (britisches Englisch). 
  5. ↑ a b c Vizag Gas Leak LIVE Updates: 8 Dead, 300 Hospitalised & Over 5,000 Sick After Leak at LG Polymers Chemical Plant; PM Modi Calls for NDMA Meet at 11am. In: News18. 7. Mai 2020, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020.
  6. ↑ Jeffrey Gettleman, Suhasini Raj, Kai Schultz, Sameer Yasir: Gas Leak in India at LG Factory Kills 11 and Sickens Hundreds In: The New York Times, 7. Mai 2020 (amerikanisches Englisch). 
  7. ↑ Safe Handling and Storage of Styrene Monomer. Chevron Phillips Chemical, abgerufen am 8. Mai 2020.
  8. ↑ Gas Leak in Vizag: Glitch in refrigeration unit led to Vizag gas leak | Visakhapatnam News - Times of India. In: The Times of India. 7. Mai 2020, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (englisch).
  9. ↑ Andhra Pradesh Bureau: Visakhapatnam gas leak live updates: Jagan announces Rs. 1 crore relief In: The Hindu, 7. Mai 2020 (indisches Englisch). 
  10. ↑ a b Massive gas leak in Visakhapatnam, thousands affected, Centre monitoring situation: 10 points. In: India Today. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (englisch).
  11. ↑ Thick air, pungent smell: How gas leakage tragedy unfolded at Visakhapatnam’s LG Polymers plant. In: The Indian Express. 7. Mai 2020, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  12. ↑ a b Siva G: Vizag LG Polymers Gas leak: 11 dead, over 5,000 fall sick after gas leak from LG Polymers In: The Times of India. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (englisch). 
  13. ↑ Staff, agencies: Gas leak at chemical factory in India kills at least nine and hospitalises hundreds In: The Guardian, 7. Mai 2020 (britisches Englisch). 
  14. ↑ a b Sumit Bhattacharjee: Visakhapatnam gas leak claims 11 lives; over 350 in hospitals In: The Hindu, 7 May 2020 
  15. ↑ a b Vizag Gas Leak LIVE Updates: 11 Dead, Over 5,000 Sick After Leak at LG Polymers Plant; CM Announces Rs 1 Crore for Kin of Deceased. In: News18. 7. Mai 2020, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020.
  16. ↑ Vizag gas leak live news updates: Toll rises to 11; NHRC sends notice to Andhra Pradesh govt, Centre. In: The Times of India. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (englisch).
  17. ↑ a b c d 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. In: Firstpost. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020.
  18. ↑ Rutam Vora: Gujarat to airlift PTBC chemical for Vizag gas leak crisis. In: @businessline. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (englisch).
  19. ↑ Visakhapatnam Gas Leak Updates: Day after tragedy, gas fumes begin leaking again. In: India Today. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (englisch).
  20. ↑ Vizag gas leak: What is styrene and how does it affect the body? In: The News Minute. 7. Mai 2020, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020.
  21. ↑ Thick air, pungent smell: How gas leakage tragedy unfolded at Visakhapatnam’s LG Polymers plant. In: The Indian Express. 7. Mai 2020, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  22. ↑ Vizag gas leak live news updates: Toll rises to 11; NHRC sends notice to Andhra Pradesh govt, Centre. In: The Times of India. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020 (englisch).
  23. ↑ Andhra Pradesh Bureau: Visakhapatnam gas leak live updates: Jagan announces Rs. 1 crore relief In: The Hindu, 7. Mai 2020 (indisches Englisch). 
  24. ↑ Mohana Basu: How styrene, chemical being blamed for Vizag gas leak deaths, affect human body In: ThePrint, 7 May 2020 
  25. ↑ Plea in NGT seeks judicial probe into Visakhapatnam gas leak incident In: Asian News International, 7 May 2020 
  26. ↑ NGT to take up Visakhapatnam gas leak case on Friday In: The Statesman (India), 7 May 2020 
  27. ↑ NHRC notice to Andhra Pradesh Government and Centre over deaths and sufferings to several people due to styrene gas leakage in Vizag District (07.05.2020). National Human Rights Commission of India, abgerufen am 7. Mai 2020.
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