Concerted efforts were being made by a team of experts to neutralise styrene vapour that leaked from the tank of LG Chem, part of South Korean multinational LG, here killing 11 people and affecting many others, said Minister for Industries Mekapati Goutam Reddy on Friday.
This was revealed at a high-level review meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM), which included Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, Kurasala Kannababu, Botcha Satyanarayana, Dharmana Krishna Das, Muttamsetti Srinivas Rao and P. Jayaram.
Earlier, the Ministers consoled the victims at the KGH.
Mr. Goutam Reddy said there was no need to panic as experts were doing their best to neutralise the gas. He said stern action would be taken against those found guilty after obtaining the inquiry report, and asked people not to believe in rumours.
He said it might take 48 hours to neutralise the gas. The government had only been a facilitator for the industries till date. “But now, it has taken up the task of safety audit of 86 industries,” he added.
With reference to the gas leak, the Minister said it occurred during maintenance. Production did not start during lockdown, he added.
‘All patients out of danger’
Mr. Kali Krishna said the government was involved in the relief and rehabilitation measures. He said 554 victims were shifted to hospitals, out of whom 128 completely recovered. “There are 305 persons, who included 52 infants, being treated in KGH. There are 121 others being treated at various private hospitals, and all of them are out of danger. Nobody is on ventilator support,” the Minister said. The government would provide complete medical support to all of them, he added.
