Ludhiana gas leak: PPCB chief engineer, private firm owner join probe

“However, locals have alleged that the private company wasn’t doing its job properly and its workers were instead dumping the waste in sewage lines. Their vehicles are fitted with GPS and we are checking its records,” said the SIT member.

All these officials had reached the office of DCP (investigation) Harmeet Hundal, who is heading the SIT, to record their statements.

On Sunday, 11 persons including two children died after inhaling toxic gas in Giaspura area of Ludhiana. The authorities including police, district administration, municipal corporation and PPCB are still groping in the dark about the source of the gas leak and its type. Though the administration said that it was suspected that toxic gas came out from a broken manhole nearby and high concentration of hydrogen sulphide was found near the manhole, it is still not clear if it was the only reason behind the deaths. A bigger question mark continues to exist on role of local industries and if they violated norms right under the nose of PPCB by dumping their waste illegally into the sewage.