Anakapalli Gas Leak: 121 Women Hospitalised, Company Shut, High-Level Probe On

In June, over 200 employees at the same campus were hospitalised after a suspected freon gas leak incident.

An incident of gas leak was reported from Brandix campus in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli on Tuesday, 2 August.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Andhra Pradesh Minister Gudivada Amarnath on Wednesday, 3 August, said that a high-level enquiry has been ordered into the recent gas leak incident at the Brandix Special Economic Zone in Anakapalli.

As many as 121 women workers were reported affected in the gas leak, and have been admitted to various hospitals.

People were evacuated following the gas leak on Tuesday, which led to as many as 150 garment factory workers falling sick and 72 people, mostly women, being hospitalised.

State Minister Amarnath had earlier said that the company has been "closed till the time investigation concludes."

"121 workers affected, and are being treated in various hospitals. The seeds company, where a second-time gas leakage was reported in two months, has been closed till the time investigation concludes," he was quoted as saying.

Andhra Minister Amarnath said that the samples have been sent to ICMR for further enquiry, news agency ANI reported. It remains to be determined whether it was a random or a deliberate act.

Further, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who reviewed the situation, has ordered a safety audit across all the industries of the state.

The leak was first noticed at SEED Apparel in the evening, leading to the women on the premises complaining of nausea.

It is yet to be ascertained which poisonous gas was leaked.

The company employs around 2000 workers, mostly women, in its garment manufacturing units.

This is the second time that a poisonous gas leak is being reported on this campus. In June 2022, over 200 employees of the same campus were hospitalised after a suspected freon gas leak incident.

Considering this, the government has also set up an expert committee to review the frequent gas leak incidents in the campus.

Porus Labs was shut down for a few days after the June mishap but soon resumed activities.

A team of experts from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology in Hyderabad visited the lab and conducted tests to determine the cause of the leak while the AP Pollution Control Board ordered the closure of the lab.

Anakapalli is at an approximate distance of 41km from Visakhapatnam.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)