A tragedy has struck Ludhiana in Punjab where 11 people have lost their lives and four are in critical condition due to inhaling a poisonous gas. The incident took place in the thickly populated Giaspura locality, which houses several industrial and residential buildings, and most of the victims were daily-wage migrants. The source and type of the gas are yet to be identified, but officials suspect it could be from manholes, where some chemical might have reacted with methane.
Among the deceased are 10 identified individuals from three families. Kavilash Yadav, who was running Aarti clinic, along with his wife Varsha and three children, Kalpana, Abhay, and Aryan, lost their lives. Another family that lost three members was that of Sourav Goyal, who ran Goyal karyana store, his wife Preety, and his mother Kamlesh Goyal. Sourav's brother Gaurav is currently under treatment at a civil hospital. The third family that suffered casualties was that of Navneet Kumar, an accountant at Aarti steel, who along with his wife Neetu Devi, lost their lives. Navneet's brother Nitin Kumar is also under treatment at a hospital. One male remains unidentified and is estimated to be around 25 years old.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has reached the spot, and the entire area has been evacuated and sealed off. The locals have been asked to move to safer places. The Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana, Surabhi Malik, said that samples from manholes are being collected to identify the gas's type and source. If it is unscientifically dumped by a factory owner, necessary actions will be taken. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has expressed his condolences and assured that all possible help will be provided.
The incident has caused panic among the locals, and some have left their homes to save their lives. AAP MP from Ludhiana, Sanjeev Arora, has promised to provide free treatment to the injured people at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) and has spoken to the DMCH Principal to make emergency arrangements for any required shifts.