Visakhapatnam: Vicious vapour that showered death, disease

Visakhapatnam: In the wee hours of Thursday, people residing in and around Gopalapatnam could hardly come to terms with mounting uneasiness they have been experiencing for a while. Unable to comprehend, they woke up only to feel even worse. Soon, their eyes began to burn, head started to reel and some began vomiting too. In what seems to be the worst nightmare ever, many of them lost their consciousness before they were shifted to the nearby hospitals through a fleet of ambulances that rushed to their rescue. This apart, as many as 40 RTC buses were pressed into service to save the victims. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team swung into action to evacuate the locals from the neighbouring colonies.

The styrene gas leak at LG Polymers plant that began approximately at 3:30 am on Thursday near RR Venkatapuram claimed a minimum 10 lives and affected hundreds. Soon, the residents of RR Venkatapuram, SC/BC Colony, Nandamuri Nagar, Kamparapalem and Padmanabha Nagar were evacuated to safer zones. Over 345 persons were shifted to King George Hospital, PHCs and other private hospitals as their condition turned critical, while a majority of them were reported to be out of danger. Unaware of what's happening to them, those residing near the plant ran helter-skelter, seeking help. While running for safety, some fell into a well and a few into drainage while a couple of them lost lives.

When enquired about the possible cause of gas leak, experts suggest that monomers get converted into polymers through chemical bonding called polymerisation. "In the process, it generates heat leading to exothermic reaction. When temperature thus increases, the liquid tends to become gas or vapour. The mishap would have happened due to the building of pressure as the gas would have crossed layers of safety valves, leading to possible gas leak," V S R K. Prasad, Director of Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, said, while speaking to The Hans India.

Since styrene vapour that belongs to the hydrocarbon family gets heavier than air it bonds with oxygen present in the atmosphere. "This leads to further complications like breathlessness. If inhaled for three to five minutes continuously, there is a larger chance of becoming unconscious," adds the director of IIPE. About the patients' condition, Andhra Medical College Principal P V Sudhakar said that recovery of the patients admitted to the hospitals depends on the quantity of the gas inhaled. The doctor further mentioned that all arrangements are in place to monitor the patients who need critical care.

Meanwhile, the district administration and the GVMC staff rushed to the spot to intensify the rescue operations. "The process of water sprinkling was taken up through mist blowers to bring down the toxicity content in the atmosphere. Steps are afoot to evacuate the residents in and around the incident spot. Care is also taken to provide water and food to the rescued locals," GVMC Commissioner G. Srijana mentioned.

Though the quantum of severity has come down in the locality in the later part of the day, District Collector V Vinay Chand said that the area will be considered safe until the chemical emission in the atmosphere reaches zero level.