VISAKHAPATNAM: A day after a panel found fault with the management of the South Korean firm LG Polymers for the gas leak from their plant in RR Venkatapuram that claimed at least 12 lives, the Visakhapatnam police on Tuesday night arrested 12 people, including the company's MD and CEO Sunkey Jeong.
They were booked for negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substances, and causing hurt, among other things. The axe also fell on two officials of the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) and factories department officials for dereliction of duties.
Apart from Jeong, technical director DS Kim and Pitchuka Poorna Chandra Mohan Rao, additional director of the firm were among those arrested. "The investigation revealed that the incident at M6 styrene storage tank took place due to negligence of the arrested persons, who knew their acts were likely to cause death," Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner RK Meena said.
The police said that further probe revealed that the accident occurred due to the poor design of the M6 tank, an inadequate cooling system, absence of circulation systems, inadequate measurement parameters, weak safety protocol, poor safety awareness, inadequate risk assessment response, slackness of management, insufficient knowledge among staff, insufficient knowledge of chemical properties of styrene, and a total breakdown of emergency procedures.
The others arrested are Kodi Srinivas Kiran Kumar, head of department and SMH in-charge, Raju Satyanarayana, team leader (production), Chedumpupati Chandrasekhar, K Chakrapani, K Gowri Sankara Nagendra Ramu (engineers), Muddu Rajesh, operator, P Balaji, night duty officer operations, S Atchyut, in-charge GPPS and K Venkata Narasimha Ramesh Patnaik, safety officer in night shift. All those arrested will be produced in court for judicial remand.
The accused were arrested under Sections 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health), 284 (negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety), and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC.
The state government had formed a nine-member High Power Committee (HPC) headed by Special Chief Secretary (EFS&T) Neerabh Kumar Prasad to probe the gas leak. The committee, in its 4,000-page report, found fault with the company's management on several counts.
Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories Suspended
Based on the committee report, the Director of Factories placed on suspension KBS Prasad, the deputy chief inspector of factories for dereliction of duties and other irregularities.
The report, found that the M6 tank was having only one temperature measurement facility at hte bottom of the 12.18 metres high tank as the reason for not detecting the rise in temperature due to polymerisation of the styrene at the top layers of the tank, which in turn led to runaway reaction and uncontrolled styrene vapour release from the vents causing major loss of life and damage to environment.
The absence of circulation system is another contributory factor for the accident, the HPC found and said the casual approach of Prasad towards very serius safety issues amounted to dereliction of duties and was placed under suspension.
Two Pollution Control Board Environment Engineers suspended
The PCB suspended R Lakshminarayana, who is presently the environmental engineer, Zonal office, Visakhaptnam, for allowing operations and expansion of LG Polymers without environment clearance, allowing import and storage of huge quantity of styrene without verifying safety and environmental issues and without real time constinuous styrene gas monitors in the place during his tenure as regional officer, Vizag.
The PCB also suspended its present regional officer P Prasada Rao on the same charges.