Villagers affected by the deadly styrene gas leak at a plant owned by LG Polymers India Private Limited (LGPI), a unit of South Korean chemical giant LG Chem, held a protest on Saturday. They demanded the permanent closure of the plant and the arrest of the company’s top management. Protesters staged a sit-in at the plant’s gate and placed the bodies of three victims.
The disaster occurred on Thursday when the plant in the southern city of Visakhapatnam was in the process to reopen after the government eased some lockdown restrictions. At least 12 people were killed, and more than 800 were hospitalized, according to a local media report.
Police officers had to block the protesters from entering the site to allow investigators to come in and out. Police have filed a culpable homicide and negligence complaint against the management of LGPI, which is a subsidiary of South Korean petrochemical giant LG Chem.
In a statement, LGPI said it is committed to cooperating with the Indian authorities to determine the cause of this incident. The company also apologized to all victims and said it would extend all possible efforts to ensure those affected and their families were taken care of.
