At least 13 people are confirmed dead and over 800 people were taken to hospitals following a gas leak at the LG Polymers chemical plant in the city of Visakhapatnam in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. currently, doctors say that 86 people are receiving treatment through ventilators, and many of the injured have been discharged. According to local health officials and media outlets, the styrene gas leak started at about 03:00 local time as the South Korean-owned plant was being reopened for the first time since March 24th, 2020, when India entered a state of lockdown to combat the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
As of now, areas up to 3 kilometres (about 2 miles) around the plant have been evacuated, and the cause of the deadly leak is under investigation. Officials and media outlets suspect that the leak may have been caused by negligence. Reports suggest that there were initial though unsuccessful attempts to control the leak.
LG spokespeople announced that the situation is now under control, and will be investigating the cause of the incident. The company also promised to "provide speedy treatment" for those affected. Meanwhile, state Industries Minister Goutam Reddy stated that legal action will be taken against LG.
