'Asbestos Warehouse' Collapses in India, At Least 20 Injured
Paradip, India - In Paradip, India, a silo constructed of asbestos and steel unexpectedly collapsed during business hours on Monday, injuring at least 20 people. At this point, however, the total number injured during the incident is not confirmed by officials, but estimates put the number of injuries over 20, and some reports say that 27 people were injured.
Bijay Sahu, Additional Superintendent of Police in Paradip said that the asbestos building completely collapsed. Though a full-scale “rescue operation” was underway, there is a growing fear that there are more workers trapped underneath the rubble.
The destroyed silo was a part of a larger operation owned by Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co-operative Limited (IFFCO) and had the storage capacity of 45,000 tons of fertilizer.
As to the reason why the structure collapsed, speculation swirls around the location of the facility. Though it is claimed that the IFFCO premises was regularly inspected and did not show any signs of being unsound, some speculate that the close proximity to the sea could have contributed to the collapse.
Besides the immediate concern over the collapsed structure harming workers, there is a potentially much greater health issue brewing – the potential disruption of asbestos particles. It is known that the building contained asbestos – at one time, a common substance in numerous building materials – and during the collapse, these highly toxic, extremely deadly particles were released into the air, putting not only the collapses' victims at risk but also any first responder personnel at considerable risk.
As a whole and left in tact, asbestos is not dangerous, but when solid asbestos are disturbed in any way, the asbestos become airborne, leaving those in its path susceptible to breathing in the toxic particles.
Asbestos exposure is linked to several types of mesothelioma cancer, lung cancer, asbestosis and other dangerous diseases. However, the main concern over a catastrophe as this one in Paradip, India, the long-term effects of asbestos exposure will not be known. Mesothelioma, for example, may take upwards of two decades to incubate and present symptoms.
At this time, mesothelioma does not have a known cure.
