Punjab: 3 dead in Ludhiana gas leak; 1 killed in Amritsar fire

Three people died in a gas leak at a factory in Ludhiana, Punjab, while two others were hospitalized. In a separate incident in Amritsar, a massive fire in the Rambagh market area resulted in one fatality and extensive property damage.

3 dead in Ludhiana gas leak

Three people died in a gas leak on Monday during waste disposal at a machine tool factory in Industrial A Block near Cheema Chowk, Ludhiana, authorities said.

According to Ludhiana DCP Harpal Singh, the accident occurred around 2:30 am. "Three people have lost their lives in the incident. Two others have been admitted to the hospital. Police are currently investigating the matter," he added. Further details are awaited.

1 dead in Amritsar market fire

Meanwhile, in a separate incident on May 28, a massive fire broke out in the Rambagh area of Amritsar on Thursday, resulting in the death of one person and causing extensive property damage. Several fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames, and efforts to completely extinguish the blaze.

According to police officials, the fire broke out in a prominent market area. Assistant Commissioner of Police Ravinder Singh confirmed the casualty and the suspected cause of the blaze. "This area comes under the Rambagh police station. Fire brigade vehicles are on the spot. It seems that the fire was triggered by a short circuit. We have recovered one body from the site," Singh said.

MLA assures government assistance

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Ajay Gupta, who reached the spot to oversee the operations, described the incident as "unfortunate and bizarre." "Rambagh is a prominent market within the city, and this specific area is dedicated to bamboo vendors. Upon receiving information, we immediately contacted fire brigade officials to dispatch tenders as soon as possible. A large crowd has gathered here; consequently, the police administration has been deployed to maintain law and order," Gupta told ANI.

Updating on the status of the fire, the MLA added, "Around 90 per cent of the situation is under control, with only about 10 per cent left to contain. We will control this fire soon."

Gupta further assured that the state government would provide assistance to those affected. "I will speak with our Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann, over the phone, and we will compensate for whatever loss occurred. One death has happened, which is very unfortunate," he added. (ANI)

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