Anakapalle: 50 'Seeds' female workers fall sick after inhaling suspected poisonous gas

Anakapalle: Over 50 female workers at Seeds Intimate Apparel fell sick after inhaling suspected poisonous gas at Atchutapuram in the Anakapalle district. It is for the second time that women employees of the same unit fell sick after inhaling the poisonous gas. It may be recalled that more than 200 women employees, a few of them pregnant, had fallen sick after inhaling a gas on June 3 this year.

On Tuesday, the employees complained of nausea, stomach pain, cough, and some suffocation. They were admitted to different hospitals at Anakapalle. Some of the women who fainted were treated at the unit and later taken to various hospitals.

Even two months after the first incident, the Anakapalle district administration is yet to reveal what happened on June 3.

Leaders and activists of the left parties alleged the nexus between the district administration and BIAC.

Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath visited the SEZ and said the women who fell sick are undergoing treatment at different hospitals. "Fortunately, there were no casualties in the incident," he said.

Under fire, Seeds Management issued a statement to calm the nerves. "With regard to the incident that transpired on Tuesday evening, at the Seeds Intimate Apparel India Private Limited (Seeds), located within the Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC), a few of our associates complained of an unpleasant odor in the atmosphere, and as a result, some of them were taken to the closest hospital for medical precaution. The safety and well-being of our associates is of utmost importance and we have evacuated all the associates. The affected associates are in a stable condition," the company said.