More than 100 people are treated after a gas leak in Manaus; three remain hospitalized

Aerial image records styrene gas vapors during cooling this Thursday (16) The leak of styrene, a flammable and toxic substance, recorded on Wednesday afternoon (15) in unit 4 of Innova, in the Industrial District, in Manaus, led 107 people to seek care in the public health network. According to the State Department of Health of Amazonas (SES-AM), 104 patients have already been discharged and three remain hospitalized. The leak occurred in one of the styrene monomer storage tanks of the company Innova, in the Industrial District of Manaus. This Thursday (16), teams from the Amazonas Military Fire Department (CBMAM) were on site to cool the tanks. According to firefighters, vapors were still released, at a lesser intensity, during the process of controlling the temperature of the material. ? Styrene is a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics and rubbers. The substance can evaporate when heated and form vapors with a strong odor. Exposure can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, as well as symptoms such as headache, dizziness and nausea. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp SES-AM reported that all health units in the state network remain on standby to assist people who present symptoms related to exposure to the product. The advice is that anyone who experiences eye irritation, sore throat, shortness of breath or other symptoms, such as abdominal discomfort, should seek a health unit and report that the signs appeared after the incident. The Civil Defense of Amazonas advises the population to remain in open and well-ventilated places, keep doors and windows open to encourage air circulation and turn off devices that capture air from the external environment, such as air conditioning and ventilation systems. Anyone in the affected area or nearby should immediately move away from the leak site and find a safe area in another part of the city. The agency also recommends avoiding traveling through Industrial District I and nearby areas until further guidance from the authorities. Death is investigated The secretariat also confirmed the registration of a serious case involving a 67-year-old patient. According to SES-AM, the man had multiple comorbidities, including chronic lung disease and advanced-stage heart disease. He reported having smelled styrene and died in the early hours of the morning. Also according to the secretariat, the medical team and the death certificate do not initially indicate a relationship between death and inhalation of the gas. Even so, the case was forwarded to the Civil Police, who will investigate the circumstances of the death. Isolated area and investigation In a press conference this Thursday (16), the general commander of the Amazonas Military Fire Brigade (CBMAM), Colonel Muniz, informed that the area isolated after the incident comprised a radius of 300 meters around the tank where the leak occurred. According to him, the company located next to Innova was evacuated and isolation remains maintained. Only teams involved in responding to the incident, such as the Fire Department, Amazonas Military Police (PMAM), Civil Defense and health agencies, still have access to the location. The commander also informed that an investigation will be carried out to determine the causes of the incident. Gas leak in Manaus causes schools, Emergency Citizen Service and companies in the Industrial District to suspend activities Videos show moment of styrene gas leak in the Industrial District in Manaus Manaus goes into a state of alert after styrene gas leak in the Industrial District, says mayor After 14 hours, firefighters continue cooling tanks after styrene leak in the Industrial District of Manaus Regarding what caused the product to overheat, Muniz stated that the main hypothesis is a spontaneous reaction inside the tank. "Everything leads to a spontaneous reaction inside the tank. Once the styrene molecule breaks, a chain reaction occurs that overheats the product", he explained. According to the commander, if the safety valves were not activated, the reaction could cause an explosion or fire. "In the specific case of Innova, the tank's safety valves were released. This was what caused the leak observed in vertical jets, because the product was subjected to high pressure inside the reservoir", he stated. Until the last update of this report, there was no information about the company's possible liability for the incident. Gas leak in Manaus firefighters continue cooling tanks 14 hours after the incident William Duarte/Rede Amazônica Schools, PAC and Sesi suspend activities Three state schools, 16 units of the municipal education network, a unit of the Industrial Social Service (Sesi) and Pronto Atendimento ao Cidadão (PAC) Studio 5 suspended activities this Thursday (16) due to the impacts of the occurrence. The Municipal Department of Education (Semed) reported that the affected units are located in the East and South zones of the capital. The folder advises parents and guardians to follow official school channels for information about the return of activities. (access the list here). The State Department of Education and School Sports informed that the state schools Antônio Lucena Bittencourt, Antovila Mourão Vieira and Bom Pastor will undergo sanitization and should resume classes this Friday (17). Sesi also suspended activities at the Francisco Garcia unit and reported that operations will return to normal on Friday. PAC Studio 5 interrupted services this Thursday. According to the State Secretariat for Justice, Human Rights and Citizenship (Sejusc), affected users will be able to contact the unit from this Friday. Companies release employees In addition to public services, companies located in the Industrial District also adopted preventive measures after the incident. Until the last update of this report, 18 companies had