1 dead after ammonia gas leaks from Punjab ice factory

One person died after an incident of ammonia gas leak was reported from an ice factory in Punjab’s Jalandhar district on Saturday, officials said.
Several other people complained of having breathing issues, irritation in eyes after ammonia gas leaked from the factory. The effects of the gas leak could be seen as far away as more than a kilometer as people felt uneasiness and suffocation.
Fire tenders and ambulances rushed to the spot and six people were rescued from the factory, of which one, who was taken out in an unconscious condition, died while the rest are in stable condition.
A woman who felt discomfort after the gas leak said, “I had come to get medicine. But suddenly I started suffocating”. The woman fell unconscious and was somehow taken away from the spot with the help of the locals. After she was given water, the woman regained consciousness and felt normal.
Meanwhile, police sealed the factory and also diverted traffic as a precautionary measure.
A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident, and the sub-divisional magistrate has been directed to submit a report regarding the incident within 15 days, officials added.