Visakhapatnam gas leak

Visakhapatnam gas leak‏‎, also known as the LG Polymers gas leak, was a industrial disaster that occurred on 7 May 2020 in the Gopalapatnam area of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. The leak was from two 5,000-tonne tanks that had been unattended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a chemical reaction that resulted in the release of styrene gas.

Background

LG Polymers India, a subsidiary of LG Chem, operates a polystyrene plant in Visakhapatnam. The plant was established in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers and was taken over by LG Chem in 1997. The plant manufactures general-purpose polystyrene and high-impact polystyrene, expandable polystyrene, and engineering plastics compounds.

Incident

The gas leak occurred in the early hours of 7 May 2020. The leak was reported to have originated from two 5,000-tonne tanks that had been left unattended due to the nationwide lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The unattended styrene monomer in the tanks had caused a reaction leading to the gas leak.

Aftermath

The gas leak affected several villages in a five-kilometre radius, causing widespread panic and chaos. The immediate impact of the leak resulted in the death of 11 people and hospitalisation of over 1,000. The long-term effects of the gas leak on the health of the residents and the environment are yet to be fully understood.

Response

The incident was met with widespread condemnation and led to calls for stricter regulation of industrial activities. The Government of India and the Government of Andhra Pradesh announced several measures to provide relief to the victims and to prevent such incidents in the future.

See also

• Bhopal disaster
• List of industrial disasters