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 National Disaster Manment Authority (NDMA) following chemical gas leak trdy at Vishakapatnam on Thursday. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were also present in 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 early hours of Thursday, officials said, in latest update at time of publishing. 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 incident and directed Visakhapatnam district collector to ensure proper medical care for affected people. He is on his way to Vizag.  gas leak reportedly took place early in morning and around 2,000 Mt tonnes of Styrene gas has leaked from plant. 

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

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

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