sewage line

11 dead in Ludhiana gas leak tragedy, 4 fall ill; area sealed

Eleven people, including three children, died after a gas leak in a densely populated area in Punjab's Ludhiana. Four other people are in critical condition. An NDRF team detected high levels of hydrogen sulphide in the area. Preliminary investigations suggest sudden dumping of some chemical from an industrial unit into the civic sewage line set off a reaction. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, and a case under section 304 has been registered against unidentified persons. The area has been sealed, and all residents have been evacuated.