Indian Church leaders express
shock at gas leak tragedy
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| Gas leak at LG Chem plant in Visakhapatnam, India |
India's effort to contain the Covid-19 pandemic hit a major
hurdle when the country witnessed a major toxic gas leak in the southern state
of Andhra Pradesh.
By Robin Gomes
At least 11 people were killed and around 800 were
hospitalised after toxic gas leaked Thursday morning at a plant making
polystyrene products in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
The styrene monomer gas leak at the South Korean-owned LG
Chem plant in the port city of Visakhapatnam forced authorities to evacuate
people in nearby villages as hundreds, including stray animals, began to faint
on the roadside after breathing the poison.
Archbishop of Visakhapatnam
“The gas has spread within a radius of 3 km and has affected
people, animals, birds and trees,” noted Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu of
Visakhapatnam.
He said that the parish priest of St. Thomas Church near the
accident site, and the nuns in the next-door convent, were unharmed.
“During the night the priests welcomed some families in the
compound of the parish, trying to give them some care and relief," he told
AsiaNews.
People near the chemical plant complained of eye irritation,
breathlessness, nausea and rashes on their bodies.
Authorities on Friday doubled the evacuation area around the
chemical plant to a 5-kilometre radius amid chaos and fear of another leak due
to rising temperatures at the plant.
CBCI
Meanwhile, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay,
has expressed "deep shock" at the tragedy.
The Cardinal who is President of the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of India said in a statement that Caritas India, the bishops’ social
service arm, was in touch with local authorities to see how the Church could
help.
In rushing the injured to hospital and helping trapped
people out of the accident sites, authorities and volunteers ignored social
distancing norms.
Cardinal Gracias noted that the incident has "put added
pressure on those already stressed" in their efforts to check the spread
of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Our prayers are with them for strength and
courage," the Cardinal added.
Memories of Bhopal tragedy
Andhra Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the state and
federal governments asking how such a plant was allowed to operate amid a
densely populated area.
The police have booked the management of the Korean firm on
several counts of negligence and culpable homicide.
The tragedy occurred as the LG chemical plant was preparing
to reopen after it was shut during India’s Covid-19 lockdown.
Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian
Christians, described the accident as a "huge tragedy".
"It is criminal negligence on the part of the company,
which left such an unstable chemical product without custody,” under lockdown,
he told AsiaNews.
“Permission was given to open this facility in the middle of
a heavily populated city, with highly questionable security measures.”
The Visakhapatnam tragedy, he noted, brought back chilling
memories of the December 1984 gas tragedy in Bhopal. Regarded as the
world's worst industrial disaster, the methyl isocyanate gas leak from the
US-owned Union Carbide factory killed over 2,500 people overnight and thousands
more in the following months and years.
After more than 35 years, people still suffer the
consequences and many newborns have disabilities as the effect of that leak.
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