Vizag Gas Leak: CEO and 2 Directors of LG Polymers among 12 Arrested; Pollution Board Suspends 3 Officials

The police on Tuesday night arrested the CEO of LG Polymers and its two directors, besides nine other company officials in connection with the May 7 styrene vapour leak incident at Visakhapatnam in 

which 12 people were killed and 585 fell sick. The Pollution Control Board also suspended three of its officials for "gross negligence".

Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police RK Meena said LG Polymers Managing Director and CEO Sunkey Jeong, Technical Director DS Kim and Operations Additional Director P Purnachandra Mohan Rao 

were arrested along with nine other staffers of the firm"Investigation disclosed that the incident at M6 styrene storage tank took place due to the negligence of these persons who also have knowledge that 

their acts were likely to cause death," he said, adding the case was still under investigation as reports from various departments have to be obtained and witnesses examined.

The Gopalapatnam police under Visakhapatnam Police Commissionerate registered a case on May 7 against LG Polymers at RR Venkatapuram, under various IPC Sections, including 278 (making atmosphere 

noxious to health).



Exactly two months later, the arrests were made.

The styrene vapour leak incident left 12 people dead and 585 sick on May 7 at RR Venkatapuram and surrounding villages near Visakhapatnam.

The High Powered Committee, designated by the state government to test the fume spill, presented its report to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday, accusing different insufficiencies for the piece of LG and slackness of the board over helpless wellbeing conventions and all out breakdown of the crisis reaction systems in the plant that brought about the grave disaster. 

It likewise brought up the oversight on part of various government divisions, basically the Directorate of Factories, that added to the catastrophe. 

In view of the HPC report, the Pollution Control Board put its Environmental Engineers P Prasada Rao (local office) and R Lakshmi Narayana (zonal office) under suspension for net carelessness in permitting the activity and development of LG Polymers without natural freedom.

The Director of Factories suspended Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories KBS Prasad over his lapses and failures in enforcement of Factories Act and other rules in LG Polymers.