In a tragic incident, at least nine people died and eleven people were hospitalised after a gas leak incident at a factory in the Giaspura area of Ludhiana in Punjab on Sunday morning. The affected area was cordoned off. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was rushed to the spot, and doctors, ambulances, and a fire brigade team are also present at the location.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann expressed grief over the incident of gas leak in Ludhiana. He said that the police, administration and NDRF teams are currently present at the location of the incident, and all possible assistance is being provided to those affected.

He tweeted, “The incident of gas leak in the factory in Giaspura area of Ludhiana is very sad..Police, government and NDRF teams are present at the spot..All possible help is being provided.”

Victim’s Kin Narrate Horror

Locals narrated their ordeal as Giaspura area, where the incident occurred, gets vacated by the administration. “…I came to know that five members of my family are unconscious,” said a local.

“This was a poisonous gas leak…At least eight people have died. Three of the bodies have turned blue…It is poisonous. You won’t be able to breathe..,” said a local, Anjan Kumar. Some members of his family died in the gas leak.

Ludhiana Gas Leak: 9 Killed

The fire officials informed that they received the call at around 7.15am about the gas leak and sudden deaths. They rushed to the spot but people were lying unconscious on roadside.

Swati, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Ludhiana West, confirmed that the incident is indeed a case of gas leak. She added that immediate priority is to evacuate the area, which is densely populated. She further said that the incident has resulted in the unfortunate death of nine people, while eleven others have fallen ill.

“Definitely, it is a gas leak case. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is present at the spot to evacuate the people and will conduct the rescue operation. 9 people died in this incident and 11 are sick,” Swati Tiwana, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Ludhiana, told ANI.

As per the preliminary information shared by the local media, the Goyal Milk Plant, a dairy product manufacturing facility, has encountered a gas leak caused by its cooling system. As a consequence, nearby residents have apparently lost consciousness within their houses, and it is presently deemed hazardous for individuals to enter the affected zone.

People within a 300-meter range of the gas leakage are finding it hard to breathe, resulting in the evacuation of the area. Police and civil administration personnel are present at the location to offer aid and support. Social organisations’ ambulances have also reached the site to help relocate the affected individuals.

Source : Multiple media houses like Times now, hindustan times, Mint, etc April 30th 2023