AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday ordered for a high level committee probe on the gas leak incident at Atchutapuram SEZ near Anakapalle district.

The Chief Minister held a review meeting on the incident and ordered the setting up of a high level committee that will look into the gas leak incident and find out the cause and steps to be taken to plug such incidents in the future. Apart from the industry in question, the Chief Minister said, a safety audit should be held in all the industries in the State.

The gas leak issue has left many people hospitalised belonging to a company in the Atchutapuram SEZ. The Chief Minister also inquired about the medical assistance being provided to the victims. Apart from finding out the reasons, he also ordered to focus on the measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

AP Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath announced the decision to conduct the probe and said orders were given to close Brandix company until the investigation into the leakage is completed. More than 121women workers fell ill and were rushed to five hospitals in the Anakapalle district for treatment.

It may be noted that this is the second instance of gas leakage in the past two months. In June around 178 women workers fell sick after a gas leak at a laboratory in a seeds factory in the Atchutapuram area near Visakhapatnam. The cause of the gas leakage was yet to be ascertained and the police and pollution control board teams were investigating the matter.

Amarnath said some samples were also sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for a more detailed examination. It is reported that most of the patients complained about difficulty in breathing, nausea, and vomiting and ran out of the company premises in panic.

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