Eight people, including a child, have died and over 1,000 have reportedly fallen ill after gas leaked overnight from a chemical plant of a multinational firm in Andhra Pradesh. More than 200 are in hospitals following the leak of what is believed to be styrene gas from an LG Polymers facility located near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. People found unconscious in lanes, ditches and near houses were taken to hospitals in a rescue effort challenged by the coronavirus lockdown. The gas leak, which started at 2.30 am, is suspected to have been from large tanks unattended because of the shutdown to fight COVID-19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken to home ministry and disaster management officials and tweeted: "I pray for everyone's safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam." Minutes later, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced the PM's meeting with NDMA officials.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav were also among those to express sorrow over the incident, offering condolences to bereaved families. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also tweeted, saying news of the gas leak was "worrying" and that disaster response teams were working with the state government to contain the situation. Set up in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers, the company was taken over by South Korea's LG Chem and renamed as LG Polymers India in 1997. The plant makes polystyrene and expandable polystyrene, a versatile plastic used to make a wide variety of consumer products like toys and appliances. Let us have a look at some of the reactions from politicians on the incident.