Gas leak in Manaus causes schools, Emergency Services for Citizens and companies in the Industrial District to suspend activities

Aerial image records styrene gas vapors during cooling this Thursday (16) Three state schools, 16 units of the municipal education network, a unit of the Social Service of Industry (Sesi) and the Pronto Atendimento ao Cidadão (PAC) of Studio 5 suspended activities this Thursday (16) after the leak of styrene, a flammable and toxic substance, recorded in a factory in the Industrial District, in the South Zone of Manaus. The measure was adopted for safety reasons due to the odor of the chemical perceived in the region. ? 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. The leak occurred late Wednesday afternoon (15), 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. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp After the incident, the area was isolated with support from the Amazonas Military Police (PMAM). However, authorities had not reported the size of the area affected by the vapors. There was also no confirmation about a possible police investigation or forensic examination at the scene. No information has yet been released about what caused the product to heat up abnormally or about the company's possible liability for the incident. Schools and PAC suspend activities The Municipal Department of Education (Semed) reported that 16 schools in the East and South zones had their activities suspended this Thursday. According to the city hall, the measure was adopted due to the strong odor of the chemical remaining in areas close to the teaching units. (access the list here). The secretariat did not say when activities will resume. 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. Classes should resume normally on Friday (17). Sesi also suspended activities at the Francisco Garcia unit. The institution reported that operations will return to normal this Friday. Studio 5's PAC, administered by the State Secretariat for Justice, Human Rights and Citizenship (Sejusc), interrupted services following guidance from the competent bodies. According to the secretariat, users who had an appointment will be able to seek assistance from Friday. Gas leak in Manaus: see schools that suspended classes this Thursday (16) Gas leak in Manaus: firefighters continue cooling tanks 14 hours after the incident Manaus goes into a state of alert after styrene gas leak in the Industrial District, says mayor Gas leak is recorded in a company in the Industrial District in Manaus Companies release employees Until the last update of this report, 18 companies located in the Industrial District adopted preventive measures after the occurrence. According to the Federation of Industries of the State of Amazonas (Fieam), companies released employees to return to their homes this Thursday (16). Among the companies that laid off employees are Positivo, Boardtec, Prefeitura de Manaus (PMM), Oriente, Compal, PST, Costa Brasil, RLX Fluidos Refrigerantes, LG, Boreo, Yamaha, Honda, Venttos, Engie, Electrolux, PCE, Digboard and P&G. According to the president of Fieam, Antônio Silva, the Fire Department teams continue to control the situation and cool the tanks. "I believe that in another 24 hours we will have a more normalized situation than it is now", stated Antônio Silva. Company says the situation was controlled In a statement, on Wednesday night (15), Innova reported that the incident had been controlled in accordance with the company's emergency protocols and that all waste generated was stored for appropriate treatment. The company also stated that there was no fire, no leakage of liquid product outside the containment area, nor any record of victims. "The situation was promptly contained in accordance with the emergency procedures established by the Company," the company said. Innova also stated that there is no risk of shortages for customers and that it remains at the disposal of the authorities to provide clarifications. Monitoring by authorities In a note, the Superintendency of the Manaus Free Trade Zone (Suframa) informed that it is monitoring the incident and requested detailed information about the containment measures adopted by the company. The body highlighted that the safe operation of the facilities is the company's responsibility and that the investigation of the causes and impacts on the environment, health and workers' health will be carried out by the competent bodies. The municipality also expressed solidarity with the people affected by the incident. g1 also contacted the Amazonas State Industry Center (Cieam) to find out if there was guidance for surrounding companies on the release of employees after the incident, 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, explained to g1 that styrene evaporates easily when heated. "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." Civil Defense advises that the population remains in open, well-ventilated places, keeps 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. SES-AM recommends that people exposed to the product seek medical attention if they experience symptoms such as eye or skin irritation, dizziness, headache, nausea, drowsiness, mental confusion, difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness. Aerial image records styrene gas vapors during cooling this Thursday (16) William Duarte/Rede Amazônica