LUDHIANA: At least eleven people have died, and nine have been hospitalized following a gas leak in Ludhiana, a city in the northern Punjab state of India here on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning near a milk shop and a doctor’s clinic, according to Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina, a member of the legislative assembly in Ludhiana.
It is unclear where the leak began, but those who had come to buy milk in the morning fell unconscious outside.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force and experts are at the site to determine the cause and source of the leak. Police officials were seen patrolling wearing masks and asking locals to keep out of a cordoned area.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tweeted that the leak was from a factory, but did not provide further details.
Local resident Anjan Kumar, who witnessed the incident, said in a video feed on Twitter by ANI news agency that three bodies had “turned blue.” The cause of the incident was not immediately clear.
Gas leakage incidents in India
Gas leaks have caused deadly accidents in India in the past. In May 2020, a gas leak at a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam killed 12 people and hospitalized hundreds.
In December 1984, a gas leak at a pesticide plant in Bhopal killed around 4,000 people in one of the world’s worst industrial disasters.
Authorities are asking people to stay away from the affected area until further notice. The incident is under investigation.
The incident is a reminder of the risks posed by hazardous materials and the importance of effective safety measures in industrial facilities.
