Andhra govt sets up committee to ascertain cause of Visakhapatnam gas leak

Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday constituted a committee to ascertain the cause of the gas leak incident at a laboratory in Vishakhapatnam in which 178 workers fell ill.

The joint committee has been constituted by District Collector. The committee was formed after Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy ordered a detailed investigation into the accident and asked the authorities to take measures for avoiding such incidents in the future. He also directed the Minister for Industries Gudivada Amarnath to visit the accident site.

As many as 178 women workers on Friday fell ill following a gas leak at the laboratory in Atchutapuram of Andhra Pradesh's Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh Industrial Minister Gudivada Amarnath informed.

The workers fell sick after they inhaled the poisonous gas that leaked at Porus Laboratories Pvt Ltd and gradually took the toll of those affected from the initial 87 at the noon to 178 in the evening.

Earlier on Friday, the Superintendent of Police Gowthami Sali had said that the workers were taken to a hospital and their condition was reported "stable with no casualties so far".

After the incident, the Chief Minister enquired about the details of the incident and directed officials to provide better treatment to those who had fallen ill.

The officials informed that the situation has been stabilised where the women working at the unit have been evacuated and those who have fallen ill were out of danger.

The investigation is underway. The cause of the leak is yet to be ascertained. Further details are awaited.

TDP National President and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has demanded the government stringent action against those responsible for the gas leak incident.

In a statement, the TDP chief said the "failure of the government's departments and the absence of monitoring have become a curse for the public".