Ludhiana gas leak: Magisterial probe finds no one responsible for tragedy that claimed 11 lives

PTI

Ludhiana, July 4

A magisterial probe into the Ludhiana gas tragedy, which claimed 11 lives in April, has found no one responsible for the incident.

A report submitted by sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Harjinder Singh to the fact-finding committee blamed no one directly for the incident.

Singh said “no one, including various departments, are directly responsible as it needs in-depth scrutiny, analysis by various agencies”.

On April 30 this year, 11 people, including three children, had died after inhaling toxic gas that emanated from a sewer in the Giaspura locality of Ludhiana. Later, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team had detected high levels of hydrogen sulphide in the area.

During the course of the probe, various agencies as well as people were contacted, SDM Singh said.

The report mentioned that the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana has said there was no blockage of sewer at the time of the incident and the Punjab Pollution Control Board ruled out any chemical discharge on that day.

The report also mentioned that the sewer connection made by Goyal Karyana store, near which the tragedy took place, was in an unscientific manner which could have caused the reverse ventilation of hydrogen sulphide.

The owner of the shop, his wife and mother were among those who perished on that fateful day.

The report stated that the fatalities were concentrated only in a small area and not the whole locality.

The report was submitted to Deputy Commissioner Ludhiana, Surabhi Malik last Friday, Singh added.