Nine people, including a child, were killed and over 1,000 are sick after gas leaked overnight at a chemical plant of a multinational firm in Andhra Pradesh’s Vishakhapatnam. Over 200 are in hospitals after styrene gas escaped when an LG Polymers facility, shut due to the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, was restarted past midnight allegedly without precautions. People were found lying motionless in lanes, ditches and near houses in visuals early today. At least three surrounding villages were evacuated and officials went house-to-house. The gas leak started at 2.30 am from large tanks unattended because of the lockdown since late March to fight COVID-19, a police officer said. “I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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