Vizag gas leak: Toll rises to 8, AP CM orders probe

The death toll from the styrene gas leak near Vishakapatnam on Thursday climbed to eight and the Andhra Pradesh government ordered a probe into the incident, the state police chief said here.

Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy held a high-level review meeting to take stock of the situation and ordered a probe into the matter, state DGP D Gautam Sawang said.

As many as eight people were killed in the styrene gas leak incident at LG Polymers Limited plant at R R Venkatapuram near Visakhapatnam in the wee hours of Thursday.

The DGP said there was no more leakage of gas and the situation was now "stable and under control".

At least 246 persons with health complications are undergoing treatment at the King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam and 20 of them are on ventilator support, he told reporters after the meeting with the chief minister.

In all, over 800 persons were evacuated from R R Venkatapuram following the gas leak and most of them only needed first aid.

The chief minister ordered an inquiry into the gas leak incident, the DGP said.

"How the gas leaked and why the neutraliser at the plant did not prove effective in containing the leak will all be investigated. Styrene, though, is not a poisonous gas and can be fatal only if inhaled in excess quantity," Sawang said.