Vizag Gas Leak: PM Modi chairs NDMA meet; Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy leaves for leak site

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) following the chemical gas leak tragedy at Vishakapatnam on Thursday. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were also present in the meeting chaired by PM Modi. 

Eight people have been killed and nearly 70 hospitalised after a gas leak at a chemical plant in Andhra Pradesh's Vizag in the early hours of Thursday, officials said, in the latest update at the time of publishing. The casualty toll is likely to rise. 

READ | Vizag Gas Leak: Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy To Go To Visakhapatnam As Casualty Fears Rise

PM Modi chairs NDMA meeting

Vizag Gas Leak LIVE Updates: PM Modi Speaks To Andhra CM Jagan; Calls Urgent NDMA Meeting

CM Jagan enroute Vizag

Meanwhile, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy enquired about the incident and directed the Visakhapatnam district collector to ensure proper medical care for the affected people. He is on his way to Vizag. The gas leak reportedly took place early in the morning and around 2,000 Mt tonnes of Styrene gas has leaked from the plant. 

READ | Vizag Gas Leak: What Is Styrene Gas? Symptoms, Side-effects & Counter-measures Here

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation also asked people staying near the chemical plant where a gas leak took place in the wee hours to stay indoors and use a wet cloth to cover their nose and mouth. Andhra Pradesh Industry minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy has said that after gas leakage was reported in the factory, lockdown procedure was initiated immediately by the state government. He explained that the first step was to neutralize the liquid that was used as a raw material in the factory - styrene monomer. The Minister further said that onus lies on the company and investigation will be initiated on if they followed guidelines. On rescue operation, he said that the nearby villages have been evacuated.

READ | Vizag Gas Leak: From Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan Prays For Victims' Recovery