11 killed after gas leak in India’s Punjab

At least 11 people were killed and four others are reported unconscious in an incident of gas leakage from a local factory unit at Ludhiana in Punjab of India on Sunday, reports The Hindu. 

Four more people, who were taken ill, are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The area has been sealed while a fire brigade and an ambulance have been deployed there, police said. A 50-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also reached the site.

A government statement said that 11 persons are so far dead in the incident. Police said the casualties comprise five females and six males. Two boys aged 10 and 13 are among the 11 who died in the incident, they said.

Ludhiana Police Commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu earlier told reporters that the incident occurred in Giaspura area of Ludhiana in the morning. The source of gas leakage and type of gas is yet to be ascertained, he added.

An NDRF official said it was yet to be found which gas caused the deaths. “We will check it first then we will let you know,” the official said in a response to a query.

A district administration official said a team of the NDRF, which has reached here, will ascertain the source and the type of gas.

As it was a thickly-populated area, the immediate priority was to evacuate people from the place, the official further said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the Police, a 50-member team from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, and government officials have been pressed into action for rescue and are present at the spot.

Mr. Mann expressed grief over the incident assured all possible help.