South Korean head of firm charged with manslaughter over India gas leak

NEW DELHI: The South Korean head of an LG Chem factory in India has been charged with manslaughter over a toxic gas leak that killed 15 people, police said Wednesday. The May 7 pre-dawn accident at the chemical plant owned by LG Polymers, a subsidiary of South Korea´s LG Chem, in the eastern port city of Visakhapatnam also left hundreds hospitalised and knocked many unconscious as they tried to flee the area. Chief executive Sunkey Jeong and director D.S. Kim — both South Koreans — and ten other local employees of LG Polymers were arrested late Tuesday after a probe said the company was to blame for the disaster. “All accused have been charged under seven criminal offences as investigation continues in the incident,” investigator G.R. Krishna told AFP. The charges included a stringent version of culpable homicide not amounting to murder — equivalent to a manslaughter charge — and for polluting the atmosphere with a noxious substance. The 12 accused were remanded in custody for 15 days after appearing in court on Wednesday, Krishna added. If convicted they could face up to 10 years in jail or a fine. The 4,000-page government report accused the firm of negligence and said the disaster was a result of lack of safety protocols and a poor emergency response.