New Delhi: In the preliminary investigation in the Ludhiana Gas Leak incident, the district authorities have suspected that some chemical reacted with methane in manholes, which seems to be the reason.

Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik said, “11 deaths confirmed till now… In all likelihood, there is some gas contamination which has happened… It is quite likely that maybe some chemical reacted with methane in manholes… All of this is being verified. NDRF is retrieving samples…”

#Punjab: At least 11 people including 5 females, 6 males were killed and several were taken ill after a gas leak from a factory in a residential locality in Ludhiana today.

As per the Punjab police official the entire area has been sealed and locals have been asked to move… pic.twitter.com/j8HlCfUrAo

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— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) April 30, 2023

Commissioner of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu on Ludhiana incident said, “There is no death due to suffocation but the gas affected the brain. A manhole cover on the road near the spot where deaths have been reported was found broken and charred in black. It is suspected that the gas leaked from that manhole,” reported Hindustan Times.

As reported earlier, a leakage of poisnous gas took place in Giaspura, which is a residential-cum-industrial area yet thickly populated. The incident claimed almost a dozen of lives and caused panic in the city.

A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), doctors and fire brigade reached the spot to evacuate the deceased people. The area was sealed and entry of outsiders was banned.

Ludhiana Gas Leak: Locals tell plight 

Talking to press person, a local named Anjan Kumar informed that a few among those who died were his family members. He said that the gas was too poisnous that three of the dead bodies turned blue.

“This was a poisonous gas leak…At least eight people have died. Three of the bodies have turned blue…It is poisonous. You will not be able to breathe,” said Anjan Kumar.

#WATCH | Ludhiana gas leak | Locals narrate 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," says a local. #Punjab pic.twitter.com/KlXNNj13BZ

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2023