“Close plant, conduct thorough probe”: Chandrababu Naidu writes to Centre on Vizag gas leak

Former
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday wrote a letter to
the Union minister Piyush Goyal on the Vizag gas leak in which 11 people have
died.

“Wrote to
Minister of Commerce and Industry Sri @PiyushGoyal Ji on various issues
pertaining to the #VizagGasLeak including bringing in specialists from India
& abroad to deliver expert medical care to residents of #Visakhapatnam,”
Naidu said on Twitter, pasting copies of the letter.

He also
demanded necessary equipment to estimate the exact size of the area affected by
the gas leak. He also demanded evacuation of all the animals in the area and
deployment of veterinary doctors.

He also
demanded closure of LG Chemicals from where the harmful gas leaked and a
thorough enquiry into the incident.

Andhra
Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced an ex- gratia
payment of Rs one crore each to the kin of those killed in the styrene gas leak
incident.

The chief
minister announced a committee to probe into the mishap and also said the
government would talk to the LG Polymers management seeking job for the kin of
the deceased in any of its businesses.

Of the two
styrene tanks in the plant, the leak occurred from one that was holding about
1,800 kilo litres of the chemical, reports news agency PTI.

LG Chem,
meanwhile, said that the gas leak is now under control. The company also said
that it is cooperating with Indian authorities to help residents and employees.

Emergency
services rushed more than 300 people to hospital and evacuated hundreds more
from areas near the chemical plant, police officials said.