India detains S. Korean CEO plus 11 others over gas leak at LG Polymers 2 months ago

Indian police have arrested 12 LG Polymers officials, including its South Korean Chief Executive Sunkey Jeong. A gas leak at the company’s south Indian chemical plant two months ago killed 12 people.

The arrests were made under a case of culpable homicide filed against the company – a unit of South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd – and its officials, stemming from the leak that occurred on May 7 in the port city of Visakhapatnam, the city’s Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar Meena said on Wednesday.

“A total of twelve members including the CEO” were arrested on Tuesday evening, Meena said, adding that one of the two directors was South Korean.

In an email response, LG Polymers told Reuters it had nothing to share. Toxic styrene gas leaked from the chemical plant, choking many people who were sleeping. This week, a government-appointed committee recommended that the plant should be shifted away from human habitation. It said LG Polymers had been negligent and warning systems were not working.