Situation under control after Vizag gas leak incident: Andhra government

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 7 : Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday said that the situation is under control after the gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam.
A press release from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the official machinery swung into action immediately after the incident and evacuated people from the area after rushing those who fell ill to nearby hospitals where they are being treated for respiratory and other ailments.
The government appealed to the people not to panic. The incident took place due to leakage of gas from chemical plant of a multinational company LG Chem. Eleven persons have lost their lives.
Officials said the incident took place in the wee hours of Thursday when people were still in their sleep.
"Soon after the incident, the state government took up the rescue measures on a war footing. National Disaster Response Force was pressed into the service for rescue operations. People who fell unconscious and those with breathing difficulties were brought to the King George Hospital and other private hospitals in the city," the release said.
Tourism Minister Avanthi Srinivasa Rao, who rushed to King George Hospital, assured all possible help in treatment of victims.
Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Botsa Satyanarayana, who rushed to the spot and has been supervising the arrangements, said that officials have been put on high alert and the preparedness of COVID 19, with more beds, storage of oxygen, ventilators and fleet of buses which was meant to transport the migrant labour, has come in handy.
Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) Chairman Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao said that immediate rescue measures were started in the early hours after the incident was reported.
The release said that Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu reviewed the situation in Visakhapatnam and instructed officials to provide adequate health facilities to the affected persons.
He also directed officials to evacuate people from the affected areas and shift them to safer places.
The release said that the in the initial days of its establishment, the company used to be in the city outskirts but over the years with the city witnessing constant growth, areas around the company became populated.
It said rescue teams were searching every house to look for any stranded persons.
Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharitha paid condolences to the people who died in the incident and said that she was continuously monitoring the situation.
She directed officials and rescue teams to provide necessary relief measures.
She spoke to the District Collector and the state DGP to take stock of the situation.
Minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy also reviewed the gas leak situation with the officials of the Forest Department for its impact on animals in the zoological park in Visakhapatnam. The minister directed the officials to start rescue operations to save animals and take measures to avoid environmental damage.