On Sunday 30th April, 11 people died due to a gas leak in the Giaspur area of Ludhiana, and 4 people were hospitalised. The root cause is unknown, however.
Image Source: Outlook India
Background
The 2023 Ludhiana gas leak incident is the latest gas leak case in India, but India has several more gas leaks in the past. The worst incident by far however, was the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy which led to the deaths of over 3000 people.
The leak at the Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal, had long-lasting side effects, and even affects people today. Even as recently as 2022, India had 10 reported gas leak cases, with 2 incidents taking place in Andhra Pradesh alone.
Ludhiana Gas Leak Incident
On 30th April, Sunday morning, residents of the Giaspur area of Ludhiana would report a strong pungent smell in the streets. Soon afterwards, people began fainting in the streets after smelling gas. 11 people died and 4 people were injured as they inhaled the gas.
One of the first people to witness the carnage was a resident named Laddu Tiwari. Laddu would see his landlord and his wife pass out on the street due to the toxic fumes, and he called for an auto driver to get them to a hospital. Unfortunately, they both would pass away.
In response, the area was sealed off and cordoned, while the ambulance and fire brigades rushed to the scene.
A 50-man NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team was deployed to the area, to help with the relief effort. They also conducted tests to find out the toxin in the gas leak.
Later, tests would reveal a high concentration of Hydrogen Sulphide, which is a neurotoxin in the region. The symptom of yellowing of the face in the victims also matches with Hydrogen Sulphide poisoning.
Image Source: Amar Ujala
Causes
Most sources agree that the gas leak took place due to certain chemicals in the wastes reacting with methane gas in the sewers. This reaction led to the formation of Hydrogen Sulphide gas, which flowed out of the sewer causing the incident.
Dr. Charan Kamal, who is a forensic expert at Civil Hospital Ludhiana said – “Probably some acidic waste was thrown into the sewer which reacted with methane, carbon monoxide and other sewerage gases to produce hydrogen sulphide”.
Reactions to the Ludhiana Gas Leak Incident
Ludhiana AAP MLA Sanjeev Arora announced that all people affected can seek treatment at Dayanand Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for free.
Image Source: Twitter via Times of India
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in a tweet in Punjabi, expressed sorrow and pain at the incident and said all possible help will be provided . The Punjab government also announced Rs2 lakh as compensation for families of the dead, and Rs50,000 as compensation for those hospitalised.