50 Injured As CO Leaks In AP Shrimp Factory Again

The Nekkanti Seafoods, a shrimp processing factory in East Godavari which suffered a major gas leak on October 24, injuring 100, once again suffered a leak today, grievously injuring 50 and putting 16 on life support.

As per reports, Carbon Monoxide, a harmful pollutant generally categorized under greenhouse gases, started leaking into the unit in the wee hours of October 26 due to a technical snag.

The workers, all of them female, who were already weary about the October 24 informed security guards about the leak. The guards however did not respond fearing their own safety.

The workers, who were trapped for several minutes, got exposed to heavy concentrations of Carbon Monoxide, and started asphyxiating. The guards finally called the ambulance, and all victims of the leak were rushed to a nearby hospital.

16 women are still in the ICU ward in a critical state.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister N Chinarajappa, who visited the victims of the day one leak (and subsequently met with a minor accident in the same hospital) expressed his anger at the incident repeating itself, and vowed to ensure that the factory was sealed and necessary action was initiated against the culpable.

Massive protests are underway outside the unit where the leak took place, demanding the arrests of the factory's owner and administrators.

The police have filed a complaint, and the preliminary investigation is yet to begin.