Eight dead in India, 250 sickened by toxic gas leak at LG plant

 A government official says at least three people were killed when a chemical gas leaked from an industrial plant in southern India.
Administrator Vinay Chand says several people fainted and were rushed to hospital early today in Vishakhapatnam, a city in Andhra Pradesh state.

At least five people have been killed, AFP reported, while Indian media reports say at least eight are dead.
Styrene, a synthetic chemical, leaked from the plant of LG Polymers company, Chand said.
Nearly 250 people felt sick in an area of 3 kilometers complaining of breathing difficulties and burning sensation in their eyes, he said.
Authorities deployed 25 ambulances to shift the sick to hospitals and others away from the accident site.

Set up in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers, the company was taken over by South Korea's LG Chem and renamed as LG Polymers India in 1997. The plant makes polystyrene and expandable polystyrene, a versatile plastic used to make a wide variety of consumer products like toys and appliances, NDTV reports.-AP/Agencies