'No second gas leak at LG plant in India'

Police and other people carry a man, center, who lost consciousness following a gas leak incident to transport him to a hospital in Visakhapatnam, Thursday. AFP-Yonhap

By Kim Yoo-chul

LG Chem, the world's top electric vehicle (EV) battery supplier, said Friday it's been cooperating with Indian authorities and the Korean Embassy in India to take “all possible and available measures” to protect everyone affected by the latest gas leak.

At least 11 people were confirmed dead and hundreds more have been hospitalized as the result of a gas leak at LG Polymers plant in India, which lies near a town of at least 3,300 people on the outskirts of the Indian city of Visakhapatnam. Some 1,000 people were directly exposed to the gas and about 20 to 25 people are in critical but stable condition, said Kamal Kishore from the National Disaster Management Authority.

LG Chem's headquarters in South Korea denied foreign media reports that there was a second leak at the plant, forcing the firm to initiate evacuation procedures.

“Regarding reports that there was a second gas leak at the LG Polymers India plant, we can confirm there was no second leak. LG asked the local police to evacuate residents near the accident site just in case as there were worries that temperatures inside the gas tanks may rise,” said C.S. Song, head of LG Chem's public relations office.

“As of Friday afternoon, or May 8 (KST), necessary procedural work such as the infusion of water in gas tanks has been underway,” according to the company's communications chief.

Song added that LG Chem is also collaborating with the Korean Embassy in India as well as Indian authorities to handle and manage “everything relating to the gas leak.” Local authorities are in the process of investigating the main cause of the leak. But he declined to elaborate on LG's next steps, including possible compensation for those affected.

The gas has been identified as styrene gas, a flammable substance that is widely used to make a variety of industrial products, including latex, rubber, fiberglass and polystyrene. It's still unknown what led to the gas leak.

The LG plant there was preparing to reopen after a temporary shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The leak happened during the process of restarting operations of the factory, according to Indian government officials. LG Chem acquired the plant from Hindustan Polymers in 1996, and uses it to produce a wide range of polystyrene products, including engineering plastic, an industrial raw material for vehicles and electronic parts.

India is significant to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his signature New Southern Policy. President Moon thanked India for its support for his ASEAN bloc-centered diplomacy with Seoul, vowing to provide substantial help in fighting the contagious virus.