Another case of the gas leak has been reported in less than 24 hours, this time from Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district from a paper mill affecting at least seven people, police told on Thursday.
The incident is of the same day when the tragic gas leak happened Wednesday overnight at a chemical plant in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam.
The incident occurred at Shakti Paper Mill in Tetla village, where the victims were cleaning an open tank on Wednesday evening, Raigarh superintendent of Police Santosh Singh told news agency PTI.
He further told that the factory owner did not inform the administration about the incident. They came to know about it only after the hospital administration alerted.
The mill had remained was closed since the COVID-19 lockdown was enforced and the cleaning work was underway to resume operation, the official said.
According to reports, a team of forensic experts was dispatched to the spot to investigate the case.
Earlier in the day, another incident of gas leak was reported from Visakhapatnam. The incident took place at the plant of LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd in Venkatapuram. The leak occurred at around 3:30 am today morning at the chemical plant, that was shut due to the countrywide lockdown.
People in five surrounding villages, in a three km radius were reported to have got sick after inhaling the gas, identified as Styrene.
Around 800 persons were initially rushed for treatment to various hospitals after complaining of breathing difficulties, and burning sensation in the eyes. Currently, over 240 people with health complications are undergoing treatment at the King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam and 20 of them are on ventilator support.