First published on Thu 7 May 2020 01.28 EDT. Police barged into houses and woke up sleeping families and shifted them. Here’s what historians say, Covid reinfection confirmed in US man, second bout was more severe, Spotlight On Pangong, China build-up now clear in Depsang, Good news: Meet the Kashmiri woman who is trying to revive the dying art of pottery, HC bans sale and purchase of firecrackers in Telangana, This is a mandate for Nitish Kumar: Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi | Exclusive, Bihar verdict: PM Modi to take part in BJP's victory celebrations in Delhi, Nitish Kumar won because of PM Modi: LJP chief Chirag Paswan, NCB to oppose anticipatory bail plea of Deepika Padukone's manager, People who don't want you to say Jai Shri Ram asking for votes in Bihar: PM Modi in Saharsa, Copyright © 2020 Living Media India Limited. If the amount of styrene goes beyond 800 ppm, then the person exposed to it can go into a coma. It is broken down by micro-organisms if it reaches soil. What is Styrene? It is also known as PVC gas (polyvinyl chloride), as it is used in the production of PVC. The whole world was engulfed by the Novel coronavirus. The only thing for which I can speak of both in the same breath is that both accidents were avoidable with a little extra care. In a statement of apology, LG Chem said that the gas leak is now under control. Swarupa Rani, an assistant commissioner of police in Visakhapatnam, said officers who rushed to the scene had to quickly retreat for fear of being poisoned. It also impacts the outer layer of tissues in the skin causing erosion and bleeding in the short term. “If it is leaking in the air, it must be a gaseous material, not a liquid material. Let me first summarise what we do know. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); “It was like an avalanche of the victims being rushed to various wards here in ambulances, cars and even on two-wheelers,” said Adarsh, a doctor at King George’s hospital. What does the Vizag accident say about industrial safety standards in India? Several doctors at the hospital voiced concern that the influx of patients would lead to coronavirus being spread among victims and doctors, with the area already a containment zone. For this, the owner is required to take out an insurance policy covering potential liability from any accident.". ‘Between pious announcements and actual payments, India has had a terrible track record, as the Bhopal tragedy shows amply’, he says. Explained: What is a technical recession? A small amount of another chemical — called an inhibitor — such as para-tertiary-butyl-catechol is also added to stored styrene in order to prevent polymerisation. What are the guidelines for storing chemicals at plants? There is no evidence that it induces any kind of cancer. 20 police personnel are suffering from mild symptoms. But long-term health effects of styrene are very small. Visakhapatnam is an industrial port city halfway between Kolkata and Chennai, and has about 5 million residents. The committee, besides probing the cause of the incident, would also find possible solutions to address the concerns raised by the victims and recommend steps to be taken, and identify hazardous industries. Nearly 1200 others had to be evacuated from nearby villages. “Most were suffering from vomiting, eye irritation, skin rashes … ‘We are investigating the exact cause of the incident and scope of damage with the authorities, and will announce the findings as we have more concrete information,’ it said. Did the company not follow the stipulated rules for storage and handling of hazardous chemicals? Several standard precautions seem to have been missed. It is reported as a gas leak, not fire blast, that means it was not the cause. This site uses cookies from Google and other third parties to deliver its services, to personalise adverts and to analyse traffic. Acting in the public interest, on 8 May the National Green Tribunal independently imposed an interim fine of ₹500 million (£5.4 million) on the Korean company. No comments. A general surgeon at King George’s hospital, Dr N Dwarakanath, said that of about 300 patients there, most were older, more than 40 were children and 15 were on ventilators. Many woke up and tried to run from the affected area. Inadvertent polymerisation of styrene gives us enough notice and warnings, as temperature rises very slowly. Tax relief until June next year: should you buy a new home now? To link your comment to your profile, sign in now. An alternative hypothesis is that styrene condensate formed on the roof and walls of the tank might have fallen into the liquid, and could have become the reason for initiation of polymerisation. Most of the symptoms of exposure to styrene are reversible. This is to avoid inadvertent polymerisation and the resultant generation of heat. The chemical can be found in air, water and soil once released into the environment. It is often said that an accident is a consequence of confluence of 95% unsafe acts and 5% unsafe conditions. ", Hazardous Waste (management, handling and trans-boundary movement) Rules, 1989 says, "Industry required to identify major accident hazards, take preventive measures and submit a report to the designated authorities. Immediately, control room staff alerted Gopalapatanam Station Staff. 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Currently, it is known that roughly 3 tonnes of the gas leaked from its storage tank and the feeding line. This caused pressure to build up in the storage chamber and led the valve to break, resulting in the gas leakage. By: Explained Desk | New Delhi | Updated: May 9, 2020 12:24:32 pm. Here's a timeline of what happened shortly after the leak, according to police: 3.25 am: Arun Kumar (Citizen) called Dial 100 and informed about gas leakage to VSKP City Police Control Room. Now based on all this information, here is what I think could have happened in Vizag: Due to the long shutdown, it is possible that slow polymerisation of styrene in the tank had begun, especially where it might have been in condensed state.