10 People Die, 200 Hospitalized, Over 5000 Fall Sick After LG Polymers Incident, The Death Toll May Increase

Ten people lost their lives, including 2 senior citizens and an 8-year-old girl, around 200 have to be hospitalized and more than 5000 people fell sick because of the gas-leaked accident from LG Polymers which is a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam on Thursday morning.

People in 3-km-radius area

Reports have it that the leakage took place around 3 am at RR Venkatapuram near the Naiduthora area. The incident led to the sheer panic among locals who are living in a radius of 3 km from the factory. Panic-stricken residents of Venkatapuram, RRV Puram, BC Colony, Kamparapalem, and Padmapuram fled the ara. Many people had to lie unconscious on roads and some of them faced breathing difficulties. They were admitted to the King George Hospital. Not just this a majority of residents complained that rashes started appearing on their bodies. In fact, the elderly and children were the most affected and as per a statement from the hospital's official, the death toll may increase.

Local police rushed to the neighborhood where the incident occurred and launched the evacuation in factory workers and locals. However, the cause of this gas leak is yet to be identified.

LG Polymers - Who Are They?

For those who are unversed, the LG Polymers plant was established in the year 1961 as Hindustan Polymers to produce polystyrene. 17 years later, the company was merged with the UB Group’s McDowell & Co and was finally taken over by LG Chem which is a South Korean group in 1997. It was then renamed into LG Polymers.

The plant produces high-impact polystyrene, engineering plastics compounds, expandable polystyrene, and general-purpose polystyrene.

The statement from Prime Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to his Twitter hand to share,

“Spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam, which is being monitored closely.

I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam.”

Stay tuned to get the latest update from the LG Polymers incident with us!