Gas leak fumes panic as LPG tanker overturns in Parawada Pharma City in Vizag

A Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker overturned in the early hours of Monday morning, near the Indian Oil Corporation, in Parawada Pharma City locality of Visakhapatnam. The LPG tanker driver had reportedly lost control of the vehicle while he was driving. While the police, and other officials, were trying to lift the LPG gas tanker, the gas inside leaked from the tanker, spreading panic amongst officials and locals. 

According to reports, on recognising this horrific incident of a gas leaking out of the overturned truck at the Parawada Pharma City, the concerned officials were alerted and the electricity supply was cut off in that part of  Vizag. As part of the precautionary measures, the authorities also informed other companies nearby to temporarily close operations and asked employees to leave the area where the LPG tanker overturned. 

With all precautionary measures, only technical and engineering personnel are on rescue operations. The fire personnel have been continuously pouring water and spraying foam to avert any fire accident. Safety experts from the oil company also have arrived at the gas leak spot in the Parawada Pharma City area in Vizag to plug the leakage and transfer the gas to another tanker. 

With about 100 companies located in Pharma City, many of them operate with hazardous chemicals and products. In the last five years, there have been at least 30 accidents at Pharma City that left a number of people dead or injured. In June 2020, a gas leak in one of the pharma companies in Visakhapatnam killed two and many were suffocated. Not even a month ago, in yet another industrial accident in the city, there was a gas leak at the Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC), at Parawada Pharma City in Vizag. Two young workers, aged around 25, died after inhaling poisonous gases that were emanating from the pump house at JNPC.