Gas leak in Manaus: see schools that suspended classes this Thursday (16)

Aerial image records styrene gas vapors during cooling this Thursday (16) Nineteen schools in the municipal and state networks of Manaus suspended classes this Thursday (16) after the leak of styrene, a flammable and toxic substance, recorded at a factory in the Industrial District, in the South Zone of Manaus. The measure was adopted preventively due to the strong odor perceived in areas close to the units. ? 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 suspend activities The Municipal Department of Education (Semed) reported that 16 units of the municipal network, located in the East and South zones, had their activities suspended. The folder advises that parents and guardians follow the schools' official channels for information about the return of classes. The State Department of Education and School Sports reported that three state schools also suspended activities this Thursday. The units are: Antônio Lucena Bittencourt State School, Antovila Mourão Vieira State School and Bom Pastor State School. According to the secretariat, state schools will undergo sanitization and classes will resume normally this Friday (17). See the list of municipal schools with suspended classes: Parque Jardim Mauá Escola Municipal Ana Maria de Souza Barros; Municipal Early Childhood Education Center (Cmei) Padre Luis Ruas; Nova Vida Municipal School; Municipal School Professor Maria Raimunda Marques Brasil; Vila da Felicidade Municipal School; Poeta João Cabral de Melo Neto Municipal School. Mauazinho Municipal Creche Manuel Octávio Rodrigues Souza; Municipal School Writer Anísio Teixeira; Municipal Early Childhood Education Center (Cmei) Fátima Maciel da Costa. Santa Luzia Municipal Creche Magdalena Arce Daou. Crespo Municipal Center for Early Childhood Education (Cmei) Safira Barbosa da Silva; Joaquim da Silva Pinto Municipal School; Thales Silvestre Municipal School. Casa da Criança Kindergarten Center. Petrópolis Municipal Early Childhood Education Center (Cmei) Odete de Araújo Puga Barbosa. Vila Buriti Almirante Victório José Barbosa da Lomba Municipal Nursery. The Social Service of Industry (Sesi) also reported that it suspended school activities this Thursday, at the Francisco Garcia unit, due to the strong odor caused by the gas leak. According to the institution, operations will return to normal on Friday (17). 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 PAC suspends service and companies release employees The Emergency Citizen Service (PAC) of Studio 5, coordinated by the State Secretariat of Justice, Human Rights and Citizenship (Sejusc), also received assistance suspended this Thursday (16). According to the secretariat, the decision followed guidelines from the competent bodies and aimed to preserve the safety of servers and users. Sejusc informed that citizens who had appointments scheduled and were affected by the suspension will be able to contact the unit from this Friday (17). 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 released employees to return to their homes this Thursday (16), according to the Federation of Industries of the State of Amazonas (Fieam). 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