Videos show moment of styrene gas leak in the Industrial District in Manaus

Videos show the moment of styrene monomer leak in Manaus Videos recorded and published on social media show the leak of styrene monomer gas in one of the tanks of the company Innova, in the Industrial District of Manaus. The incident occurred at 5:36 pm this Wednesday (15) in unit 4 of the factory. Images also recorded employees evacuating the building and gathering outside. (see the video above) The State Department of Health of Amazonas (SES-AM) reported that 16 people were treated in hospitals in the capital. All are in stable condition and are undergoing medical evaluation. As a preventive measure, employees from the company and nearby locations were removed from the area. ? Styrene monomer is an industrial chemical derived from by-products of petroleum or natural gas and which, under normal conditions, is a transparent and colorless liquid. It has been produced synthetically for over 70 years. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp 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. After the incident, the mayor of Manaus, Rento Junior, reported that the capital is on alert. Around ten Fire Department vehicles responded to the incident and four water cannons and 35 men were used. Brigade members from the affected company also took part in the incident. In one of the videos, the author — unidentified — reports that the evacuation was carried out by the employees themselves. "It's a very serious situation here. People are leaving. We had to run from the building, a desperate situation. Now I can breathe better", he says. Styrene gas leak is recorded at a factory in the Industrial District of Manaus Another video, recorded from afar, shows the gas coming out of two valves. The author claims that the smell spread to nearby neighborhoods and forced workers to leave their posts. “This section is exhaling this white smoke upwards, and the companies up here have everyone outside because of this white smoke that is coming out there”, he says. In a statement, the company confirmed that one of the styrene monomer tanks, installed in Unit IV, suffered a chemical reaction. Also according to Innova, the unit's Fire Brigade operates on site together with the Fire Department teams and that there are no records of victims. Videos show the moment of a styrene gas leak in the Industrial District in Manaus Photo: Reproduction/Social Networks What the Firefighters say The general commander of the Fire Department, Orleilso Muniz, explained that the leak occurred because the tank's safety valves were activated. The suspicion is that there was a spontaneous internal chemical reaction. According to the corporation, a technical examination will be carried out to confirm the causes of the accident. "We are going to carry out a refined technical examination, but everything indicates that it started through an internal reaction to the tank," he said. According to Muniz, the gas should dissipate slowly, as it is heavier than air. READ ALSO Gas leak is recorded at a company in the Industrial District in Manaus Manaus goes into a state of alert after a styrene gas leak in the Industrial District, says mayor Health guidelines As a preventive measure, the Civil Defense also advises that the population remains in an open and well-ventilated place, 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. SES-AM recommends that people exposed to the product, if they experience symptoms such as eye or skin irritation, dizziness, headache, nausea, drowsiness, confusion, difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness, immediately seek the nearest health unit or call the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu 192). 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. Gas leak is recorded at a company in the Industrial District in Manaus Photo: Reproduction/Social Networks