Two sisters hugged each other tight, a cop choked, and a daughter desperately tried to revive her mother who collapsed on the street. Horrific, tragic and heart wrenching. People fell like a pack of cards, some fell off their bikes, some morning walkers collapsed inhaling the toxic fumes, children and women were found unconsicous on the pavements. Tiny tots stranded on the pavement, looking for their mothers, mothers looking for their children. The gas leak inVizag took the lives of 12 people, including two children. More than 350 hospitalized, according to official figures, of these more than 50 are children, many of whom are minors.
Around 193 were undergoing treatment at King’s George Hospital, 66 at private hospitals and another 57 at various health centers. The KGH hospital in Vizag had to grapple with a swarm of patients cramming hospital emergency rooms with more than two gas victims being treated in one bed. There were children everywhere, often two to three to a bed. Some were brothers and sisters.
According to unconfirmed reports, at least 1,000 were affected inhaling the toxic fumes. A TV9 report showed mothers wailing for their missing children. At least, three mothers were making frantic appeals to locals for providing any clue about their missing sons and daughters. The helpless parents appealed to the government to trace their missing children. No one knows what happened to these children. A mother from Gopalapatnam said her two children, her husband and mother-in-law went missing since the time the toxic fumes broke out from LG Polymers on Thursday. Later, someone informed her that her husband is dead and his body is in the KGH mortuary. Meanwhile, she received a call from her mother-in-law that she is in Pendurthi. However, she has no clue about the whereabouts of her two children.
A father who lost his wife to the toxic gas is looking for his missing son.
On Thursday, two people fell – one into an open well and the other in an open drain when they tried to run for their lives to escape the toxic fumes. What could have happened to these children? Though it is hard to pin point one single reason for the mysterious disappearance of the children, death certainly cannot be ruled out. But, if official statement, is to be believed only two children died. This begs one to ask the government: What happened to these missing children?
If the children went missing, it is indeed a serious issue that needs a thorough investigation. The High Court and the NHRC should take suo motu cognizance of the TV9 report and issue a notice to the government to trace the children.
