Excerpts from NDRF Press briefing :
- Around 5:30, the local NDRFHQ unit stationed in #Visakhapatnam was informed. They were on the spot in 30 minutes They undertook two tasks: 1. Neutralizing the gas inside the factory 2. Evacuation of villagers near the factory site. (Venkatapuram village)
- Nearly a thousand poeple were directly exposed because of the styrene gas leak in Visakhapatnam; they have been evacuated and medical treatment is going on.
- People were evacuated in the radius of about 3km from the site of the Vizag Gas Leak.
- The effectiveness of styrene reduces after 6.5-7 hours. The leak began at 2:30 am. The gas has become less effective with the passage of time & it is expected that its effectiveness will reduce further.
- Dr. Randeep Guleria: The chances of long term health impacts of Styrene are less, as it quickly metabolizes & leaves the system. This is an acute exposure, rather than a chronic one.
- A team with expertise in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear accidents is flying in from Pune; specialized medical support is being mobilized to help medical practitioners in the area deal with the situation.
- 200-250 families (500+ people) evacuated, door to door search undertaken by @NDRFHQ as response to Vizag Gas Leak.
PM Narendra Modi
PM Narendra Modi took stock of the Vizag Gas Leak in the NDMA meeting & the resources of Central Govt. that could be deployed not just from the state, but from across the country, and gave directions for their deployment at the earliest.
PM Modi also spoke to Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam. He assured all help and support.
Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan
AP CM YS Jagan met the people affected by the Vizag Gas Leak at King George Government hospital. He assured them that all necessary assistance will be extended to them & their families.
AP CM YS Jagan also interacted with LG Polymers authorities on Gas Leak incident at Airport Lounge, Vizag
AP CM YS Jagan announced Rs 1 crore compensation to families who lost a member and Rs 10 lakhs to those on ventilator, Rs 1 lakh to those who had gone to hospital for first-aid care.
TDP Leader N. Chandrababu Naidu :
Wrote to Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal Ji on various issues pertaining to the Vizag Gas Leak including bringing in specialists from India & abroad to deliver expert medical care to residents of Visakhapatnam.
Mekapati Goutham Reddy :
We are closely monitoring the situation & instructing officials to take all necessary steps to ensure recovery of the Gasleak affected. In record time, have arranged for airlifting of PTBC inhibitor (Antidote for Gas leak) components from Vapi in Gujarat & getting them to Vizag.
Pic Credit : Srijana Gummalla, AP CMO, NCBN