Gas leak at pharma company in Visakhapatnam claims two lives

In yet another gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam, at least two individuals have been killed. The incident took place at the Sainor Life Sciences pharma company at Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City in Visakhapatnam when benzimidazole vapours leaked during the wee hours of Tuesday. As per reports, close to 25 employees were inside the company when the gas leak occurred. While two of them lost their lives, four individuals fell sick after inhaling the gas and were rushed to a hospital for treatment. The deceased have been identified as natives of Guntur and Vizianagaram districts respectively.

In wake of the incident, Visakhapatnam Collector V Vinay Chand,  Commissioner of Police RK Meena, and other top officials reached the spot to review the situation and monitor the rescue operations. The officials further met the affected and assured them of the government’s support. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has enquired about the gas leak at the pharmaceutical company in Visakhapatnam.

Reportedly, the factory was shut down immediately as a precautionary measure. Stating that the gas leak was confined to a particular section of the Sainor Life Sciences pharma company, the officials in Visakhapatnam said that the situation has been brought under control and there is no need to panic. A probe has been launched to ascertain the exact reason behind the unfortunate incident. A special team has been formed to look into the same.

The latest incident marks the third occurrence of a gas leak in Andhra Pradesh within a span of fewer than two months. On 7 May 2020, a styrene gas leak from the LG Polymers plant at RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam claimed the lives of about 12 people. The incident, which rattled the city, has raised eyebrows on the standards being followed by the industries, given the safety of the surrounding residential areas in question. Recently, an ammonia gas leak incident from the SPY Agro Industries, located in the outskirts of Nandyal, Kurnool district, reportedly claimed the life of an employee working at the plant.