Gas leak at Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalle Special Economic Zone: at least 178 fall sick

ANAKAPALLE: On Friday, at least 178 employees of the Seed Intimate Apparel Unit fell ill after a suspected leak of ammonia gas in the Brandix Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Atchyutapuram in Anakapalle district. Pollution Control Board officials and District Collector P Ravi Subhash rushed to the spot to understand the source of the gas leak.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister has ordered a probe into the incident and directed the officials to take necessary steps to make sure that such an incident is not repeated. During the meeting with the concerned officials, the CM directed them to give proper treatment to those who fell sick, and inquired about the gas leak.

Jagan was informed by the officials that all those who were admitted to the hospital were out of danger and that the situation has been bought under control. The officials added that all the women working in the unit have been evacuated. Several female employees in the apparel unit complained of nausea and shortness of breath around 12 in the afternoon. Some of them began to vomit while others fainted.

As soon as the management came to know about the leak, they notified the health and district authorities. They also rushed those affected to health clinics located in the SEZ area and provided them with first aid. More than twenty ambulances were contacted by the management to take those exposed to the gas to Anakapalle Area Hospital and other nearby hospitals for treatment.

Gudiwada Amarnath, the Industry Minister visited the SEZ and said that most of them were being treated at the NTR Hospital in Anakapalle and a few were taken to private hospitals in Atchyutapuram.

Eight people who were in critical condition were shifted to KGH in Visakhapatnam. The ministered assured that the situation was under control and said, "Several people were discharged in the evening and some are being closely monitored."

The District Collector Ravi Subhash spoke about the evacuation of the 1,800 people who were in the SEZ during the incident.

He said the source of the gas leak had not yet been identified, adding that the Pollution Control Board, factories and revenue department officials and police officials had formed teams to trace it. "It is still not known whether the gas that leaked was Ammonia or not," he added.

Meanwhile, the families and relatives of those affected by the leak were not allowed inside the treatment areas. A middle-aged woman while trying to enter that ward told the reporters, "I don't know what is happening, my daughter is inside".

Speaking to The New Indian Express, the pollution control board officials said that there was less possibility of the gas being Ammonia and that it might be some solvent.

They said they would check the meters installed in the industrial units and determine the amount of emissions at the time of the incident and would submit a report to the district authorities soon.