The styrene gas that leaked from LG Polymers which has killed at least seven people and created panic in several areas of Visakhapatnam leading to fleeing of homes in the vicinity of the plant is a poisonous, inflammable gas used in the plastic engineering industry, and could have triggered a series of explosions, according to experts.
Early morning leakage from LG Polymers, which manufactures general-purpose polystyrene, high impact polystyrene, and colored polystyrene caused panic in several areas of the city in the industrial belt Mindhi and Gajuwaka.
“Depending on the intensity of inhaling the poisonous gas, a person could face complications in the lungs and inhaling oxygen. It could lead to fatality due to damage to the central nervous system,” Dr. C.V. Rao, Director, GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences, told The Hindu.
