Vizag Gas Leak: Probe Panel Submits Report to Andhra CM, Says Poor Safety Protocol Caused Tragedy

In the 4,000-page report, the high power committee there was also a 'total breakdown of emergency response procedure', which, it said, led to the incident.

New Delhi: The high power committee (HPC), which was set up by the Andhra Pradesh government to probe the Visakhapatnam gas leak incident, which took place in May, on Monday submitted its report to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, blaming ‘poor safety protocols’ and ‘total breakdown of emergency response procedures’ as the chief reasons which led to the tragedy.

In its 4,000-page report, which it submitted to the Chief Minister at his office today, the HPC said that there was ‘slackness’ on part of the company with regards to the safety protocols, adding that there was no proper preventive mechanism to avert such incidents.

In its report, the committee, which was headed by state Environment and Forests Special Chief Secretary Neerab Kumar Prasad, also noted that the warning siren facility was ‘not in order’, mentioning at least 36 places where the alarm system didn’t function and siren did not work.

The HPC further stated that it also found that non-adherence of safety protocols, lack of timely emergency response measures, negligence contributed to the tragedy. The report, it said, was prepared by holding discussions with a number of stakeholders, including eyewitnesses and affected people through emails and phone calls.

Reacting to this, Chief Minister Jagan remarked that the report will serve as guidelines on how to avert mishaps, adding that if necessary, the state government will make necessary amendments to the existing laws to this effect. He also directed all concerned departments to come up with foolproof action plan and protocols to ensure that such incidents do not take place in the future.

Notably, today’s development comes a day before the incident, which took place on May 7, completes two months. At least 11 people had lost their lives and thousands were affected as styrene gas leaked from LG Polymers chemical plant located on the outskirts of the city.