Ludhiana Residents Mourn Neighbours, Families Killed In Gas Leak

Kavilash, who died along with his family in the gas leak incident in the city's Giaspura area, was fondly called "doctor sahib" and had come to Punjab from Bihar over 25 years ago for a better future.

Kavilash, 40, his wife Varsha (35) and their children Kalpana (16), Abhay (13) and Aryan (10) died after inhaling toxic gas in the thickly populated Giaspura locality on Sunday.

A total of 11 people, including three children, have been killed in the incident, police had said, adding that four more people, who were taken ill, are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Kavilash, who hailed from Gaya in Bihar, was a registered medical practitioner and had been running his clinic in Giaspura since the last 25 years, his neighbour said.

"Kavilash was fondly called 'doctor sahib' and his family was always ready to extend help to all," he said.

Two members of another family -- Navneet Kumar (39) and his wife Neetu Devi (37) -- also died in the same incident. According to locals, Kumar was working as an accountant in a steel firm located near Vishkarma Chowk. His brother Nitin (40), who was injured in the incident, is undergoing treatment at the civil hospital, said officials.

The brothers, who also hailed from Patna in Bihar, had been living in Ludhiana for the past 20 years. Thirty-five-year-old Sourav Goyal, his wife Preety (31) and mother Kamlesh Goyal (60) also died in the incident. Sourav was running a kirana store in the locality where people who came to buy milk started fainting on the fateful day.

Sourav's brother Gaurav (50) is also undergoing treatment at the civil hospital.

Sourav hailed from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and had been living in Punjab for the past 20-22 years.

One of the people who died in the incident is yet to be identified, officials said.

Giaspura is a thickly populated area with a migrant population. Several industrial and residential buildings are located there. All the victims belonged to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and had been staying in Ludhiana.          

Ludhiana, being the industrial hub of Punjab, attracts a large number of migrants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states. The migrants work mostly in industry verticals like bicycle, hosiery, automative parts, iron and steel, among others.

The incident came to light when some people at the local grocery store started fainting on Sunday. Four people died on the spot, while others were rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a portion of the Giaspura locality where the incident took place remained cordoned off on Monday while the district authorities said the affected area underwent a night-long decontamination process.

Teams of the Punjab Pollution Control Board checked what led to the buildup of hydrogen sulphide in the sewer that might have led to the tragedy, officials said, adding that the poisonous gas is no longer being detected in the air. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)