Gas leak is recorded in factory in the Industrial District The mayor of Manaus, Renato Junior (Avante), reported this Wednesday (15) that Manaus is in a state of alert after the record of a styrene gas leak in unit 4 of Innova, a company located in the Industrial District, in Manaus. In a video, released on social media, he also announced the creation of a crisis office to coordinate response, monitoring and protection actions for the population. ? A state of alert is when one or more serious incidents impact the city or there is a simultaneous incidence of several medium and high impact problems in different regions of the city. The multiple damages and impacts caused begin to exceed the immediate response capacity of the city's teams. City hall's guidance is for the population of Manaus to avoid traveling within a radius of up to 30 kilometers from the affected area. In total, 12 secretariats participate in the crisis office. "Manaus is currently in a state of alert. I ask that the population avoid traveling near the affected area and only follow official announcements", stated Renato Junior. ? Synthetic styrene is a raw material used in industry to manufacture plastics and synthetic rubbers. The substance can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. At high concentrations, exposure can affect the central nervous system and cause loss of consciousness. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp The task force brings together the municipal departments of Health (Semsa), Environment and Sustainability (Semmas), Public Security and Social Defense (Semseg), Social Assistance and Citizenship (Semasc), Agriculture, Supply, Center and Informal Commerce (Semacc), Administration, Planning and Management (Semad), Education (Semed) and Communication (Semcom), in addition to the Civil Defense of Manaus, the Center for Cooperation of the City (CCC), the Municipal Institute of Urban Mobility (IMMU) and the Municipal Institute of Urban Planning (Implurb), which act in an integrated manner throughout the incident. The mayor also informed that Semsa has reinforced service in health units close to the area of ??the incident and that municipal teams are mobilized to provide assistance to the population within city hall schools. Furthermore, the city hall monitors the work of the competent bodies and demands official information on the evolution of the incident. The mayor also highlighted that, although the industrial area is under the jurisdiction of other bodies, the city hall continues to monitor the case in real time. “Our absolute priority is to preserve lives, guarantee the safety of the population and provide all necessary assistance during this incident”, stated Renato Junior. Residents of neighborhoods such as Raiz, Praça 14 and Cachoeirinha, in the South Zone of Manaus, reported smelling a strong smell similar to paint. "I smelled a strong smell of paint, I even asked my friend to check if it wasn't at the company next to my house. I started sneezing," said a civil servant living in the Praça 14 neighborhood who preferred to remain anonymous. Leak The styrene gas leak was recorded in one of the tanks in unit 4 of Innova, a company located in the Industrial District. The odor spread to surrounding neighborhoods and led to the evacuation of a nearby shopping mall. Innova, where the leak occurred, is a company in the petrochemical sector that produces styrene and other inputs used as raw materials by the plastics industry. In a statement, the company confirmed that one of the styrene monomer tanks, installed in Unit IV, suffered a chemical reaction. According to Innova, the unit's Fire Brigade operates at the site together with the Fire Department teams and that there are no records of victims. g1 requested a note from the Manaus Free Trade Zone Superintendency (Suframa) and the Amazonas State Industry Center (Cieam), but did not receive a response until the last update of this report. Health guidelines The head of the Chemistry Department at the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), Karime Bentes, informed g1 that styrene is a liquid at room temperature, but it volatilizes (turns into gas) quickly. "It has a strong, sweet odor. Exposure to styrene gas can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, as well as symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and fatigue. In high concentrations, it can lead to nausea and respiratory problems. It is recommended to use a P2 mask, also known as N95." Gas leak is recorded at a company in the Industrial District in Manaus Photo: Reproduction/Social Networks