Gas leakage in Vizag pharma firm leaves 2 workers dead

Guwahati:  Just over a month after the Styrene gas leak at LG Polymers in RR Venkatpuram village in Visakhapatnam, the port city has witnessed another tragic incident. Toxic Benzimidazole gas started leaking from Sainor Like Sciences Pvt Ltd, a pharmaceutical firm in the city's Parwada area on Monday night, at around 11:30 pm. The incident left two workers dead and four hospitalized.

"The situation is under control. The two workers who died were present at the leakage site. The gas has no spread anywhere else," Police Inspector of Parwada told ANI, warding off fears of a gas spread.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy joined the Inspector in assuring the safety of the public. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) issued an official statement that said, "The incident is confined to a department in which there is a reactor. There is no need to panic. The district collector is inquiring into the matter." Chief Minister has also ordered to provide the best medical facilities available in the city to the injured.

The factory is reported to have shut down immediately as a precautionary measure. Out of the four injured who have been taken to RK hospital, one is critical and has been put on a ventilator. Police Commissioner RK Meena and District Collector V Vinay Chand later visited the pharmaceutical company to take stock of the situation.

The exact cause of the gas leak is yet to be known and officials are trying to trace the technical reasons that might have led to the gas leakage.

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