Visakhapatnam, May 21: Residents of Andhra Pradesh's port city Visakhapatnam on Thursday panicked after thick smoke emanated from a Crude Distillation Unit plant at Hindusthan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) refinery. The fumes were apparently due to a technical snag and it was immediately brought under control. Authorities said that there was no reason to panic. Styrene Gas Leak in Vizag: What Is Styrene? What Is Its Effect on Human Health? Know All About This Poisonous Gas.

"Due to a technical snag, the crude distillation unit plant restarted. The situation was immediately brought under control," according to HPCL Public Relations Officer (PRO). Reportedly, the incident was due to temperature issues.

ANI Tweet:

Thick Plumes of Smoke Billowing Out of the HPCL Factory in Vizag:

Residents living in the vicinity of the plant made frantic calls to government agencies after thick smoke rose to the skyline. This incident comes days after Styrene gas leak from LG Polymers plant created havoc in the city.

On May 7, the poisonous gas leak from a chemical plant near Gopalapatnam killed 12 people. Over 1,000 people also became sick after being exposed to the gas. The Andhra Pradesh government announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore each for kin of the deceased.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 21, 2020 08:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).