No less than 11 persons, including two children, died, while four others were critically ill after inhaling poisonous gas at Ludhiana’s Giaspura area on Sunday morning. Soon after the incident, the police, District Administration, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams started rescue and relief operations.

The incident caused panic and fear amongst the locals who confined themselves to their homes, shutting all doors and windows, isolating themselves to avoid the possible chances of infection.

Giaspura, a thickly populated area with several industrial and residential buildings, majorly has migrant population. The building, from where the gas leak was reported, said to have a milk booth, apart from other establishments, and everyone who came to get milk, fell unconscious.

Hours after the incident, Punjab Government announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased, while Rs 50,000 was announced for those injured in the gas leak.

In a similar incident in June 2015, five people were killed and at least 100 others fell ill after ammonia gas had leaked from a tanker in Doraha town of the Ludhiana district.

Taking stock of the situation in the area and Civil hospital, the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann told him to reach the spot and ensure the best treatment for the injured admitted in hospitals.

“The families of the deceased and other affected families have the Government’s unwavering support…Four of the patients, being treated in civil hospitals, are out of danger now,” he added.

At the same time, the Minister said that exemplary action would be taken against the perpetrators. Later, the Health Minister also visited the affected area in Giaspura.

Even as the investigators were yet to ascertain the source of gas leakage and the type of gas, the preliminary reports indicate that the deaths were caused due to neurotoxicity that occurs when the exposure to natural or manmade toxic substances (neurotoxicants) alters the normal activity of the nervous system that includes brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

“The nature of gas was neuro-toxic…As per the medical examination till now, the deaths were not caused by suffocation but by the harmful effect of the gas on the nervous system of the victims,” said Ludhiana Civil Surgeon Dr Hatinder Kaur.

Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik said: “It is likely that deaths happened due to gas contamination. Now the teams are going to collect samples from manholes. It is likely that some chemical has reacted with methane.”

Malik added that the deaths were caused due to the release of neuro toxins at the spot. “All these aspects are being verified. NDRF is engaged in process of extracting samples from manholes. These samples will be tested for various chemicals. The entire area has been evacuated and the surrounding area has been cordoned off,” she said.

“We request the people not to spread or believe in rumours. Please stay away from this area till further update,” she added, while appealing to the locals to wear masks.

She said: “The gas, which was leaked, has been diluted; but just to check the spread of the gas, the corporation, and NDRF teams are checking. We are just going to for safety's sake how much the gas has spread.”

Of the 11 dead, six were males, five females, with two children aged 10 and 13. The victims brought dead at Civil Hospital were identified as Sourav (35), Varsha (35), Aryan (10), Chullu (16), Abhay (13), and Kalpesh (40).

Three bodies — two women and a man — were unidentified; while two others — Navneet Kumar (40), and Neetu Devi (37) — died at SPS Hospital. Four people were undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

The fire brigade and NDRF teams were trying to ascertain the type of gas. “The NDRF experts are checking the type of gas. I cannot comment on it yet. It will be half-baked information. We have used drones to check if someone was lying unconscious on terraces or rooftops but no one else was found yet. All who became unconscious have been evacuated,” said Ludhiana police commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu.

In the air quality sensors used by the NDRF team, high levels of Hydrogen Sulphide gas have been detected and it is believed that this gas might have led to the tragic incident.

The team of the Ludhiana civic body is also working hard to ensure that there is no further chemical contamination.

DM, ADM and SDM along with municipal corporation and police officials have supervised the entire exercise of rescue, decontamination, cordoning and evacuation and coordinated with NDRF, and NDMA to ensure swift control of the situation.

CM Assures All Possible Help

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, expressing deep sorrow and anguish at the gas leakage incident, on Sunday assured all possible help to those affected.

“The incident of a gas leak in the factory in the Giaspura area of Ludhiana is very sad. Police, government and NDRF teams are present at the spot. All possible help is being extended to the affected. Rest details soon,” said the Chief Minister, in a tweet. He added, that further investigation is underway.

Special DGP Visits Spot; Police Registers FIR

Taking cognizance of the Giaspura Gas leak incident in Ludhiana, Punjab’s Special Director General of Police (DGP), Law and Order, Arpit Shukla on Sunday visited the area to supervise the overall situation.

Shukla, accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Surbhi Malik, Commissioner of Police (CP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu, and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sheena Aggarwal, held a meeting with senior Police and District Administration officials.

Terming the incident as heart wrenching and unfortunate, he informed that a first information report (FIR) has been registered against unidentified persons and investigations are on to find the culprit.

He directed the Police Officials to ensure that the matter be thoroughly investigated. Law and order in the city is to be maintained at every cost, he added.

He said that magisterial inquiry has also been ordered to investigate this incident. The chief engineer from Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has already collected samples from the spot, he added.

He said that the team of NDRF was called in and gas levels are being checked at regular intervals.

Meanwhile, Ludhiana police have registered an FIR under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sahnewal police station against unknown persons.

As per the FIR, it is suspected that some unknown persons dumped industrial waste illegally into the sewage which led to a chemical reaction and toxic gas was produced leading to deaths.

Panic Grips Residents

Panic gripped Giaspura area in Ludhiana after the gas leakage was reported. The locals narrated the ordeals of the tragic incident as the local Administration immediately vacated the area, where the incident occurred.

“This was a poisonous gas leak... many people have died. Three of the bodies have turned blue... It is poisonous. You won't be able to breathe. All the bodies have been sent to the hospital,” said one of the deceased's family members Anjan Kumar.

Another local said that many members of his family were trapped inside the spot of the incident and feared an untoward happening to them. “I don’t know about the factory but now I got to know that five people of my family are unconscious. I don't know what to do,” he said.

Govt Announces Rs 2L Ex-Gratia for Kin of Deceased, Rs 50k for Injured

Punjab Government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the gas leak incident in Ludhiana’s Giaspura locality.