The leak happened after the tanker carrying ammonia got stuck under a flyover
Five persons were killed and over 100 others had to be hospitalised after inhaling hazardous fumes in an ammonia gas tanker leak early today in Punjab's Ludhiana district, police said.
The incident occurred when the tanker got stuck under a flyover along a canal on the Doraha Bypass Road, about 25-km from Ludhiana, they said.
"Five persons died from inhaling the gas and over 100 others complained of breathing problems. Those affected after inhaling the gas have been admitted to various hospitals in Ludhiana. Barring 2-3 persons, all were stated to be out of danger by the doctors," Ludhiana Police Commissioner Pramod Ban told PTI over the phone.
The locals came out of their houses even as the gas from the leaking tanker spread in and around Doraha, police said, adding that residents of the surrounding areas had to be evacuated after the incident.
Police said that all the deceased are male adults with two among them having been identified as Satpal of Doraha and Avtej Singh of Jalandhar.
The tanker bears a Gujarat licence plate, police said, adding that the incident occurred on the Delhi-Ludhiana highway.
Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Gill said that the incident was caused by the negligence of the driver. The tanker got stuck under the flyover and its valve got damaged, resulting in the leakage, added SSP Gill.
"It was late in the night and there was no heavy traffic. The driver should have seen if the vehicle would pass through," SSP Gill said.
Doraha Station House Officer (SHO) Rajnish Kumar Sood said that the bodies have been shifted to a hospital in Ludhiana.