A gas leak was reported at a facility in Nangal in Ropar district in Punjab, on Thursday (May 11), marking the second such incident in two weeks in the state. It is noteworthy that on April 30, at least 11 people died after inhaling toxic gas on Sua Road near Eastman Chowk, Giaspura village in Ludhiana.
Many people fell victim as a result of the gas leak in Nangal, including 24 to 25 children from the adjacent Centre Soldier Private School. Everyone was immediately transported to Nangal Civil Hospital after they complained of headaches and throat infections.
Multiple individuals were found in severe conditions, including a little girl who was referred to PGI Chandigarh as her condition deteriorated further. The administration has also communicated with her family and her condition is now steady. She was already sick for a few days before the instance happened.
Punjab’s Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains arrived at the location with senior officers, including Ropar’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) Preeti Yadav, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vivek Sheel Soni, DSP Satish Kumar of Nangal, officials of Nangal Nagar Council, Nangal Tehsil, Block Development and Panchayat Office (BDPO). The area was completely sealed off as a safety measure. There were roughly 2400 pupils enrolled in the school at the time of the disaster.
Medical staff from nearby hospitals were also called by the Health Department to Nangal Civil Hospital. An additional police force, a significant number of health department employees, and ambulances were dispatched to the area. According to reports, 300 to 400 people are always present at the site of the incident where relief measures are currently underway.
Some students of Saint Soldier School were complaining of breathing difficulties and other issues around 2:00 PM. Nearly 24 of them, and a teacher who had the same symptoms, were admitted to the hospital. Out of them, 4 to 5 children have been kept for observation, while 18 to 19 received first assistance and were thereafter released. The ones under medical care should be released soon, as per the doctors.
As per the Ropar DC, a committee has been established by the district administration to look into the potential sources of the gas leak. In addition to the senior officers, experts from the Pollution Control Board are included in the committee. The committee is directed to finish the inquiry as soon as possible and present its findings. The Deputy Commissioner also urged the populace not to panic and assured that everything is under control at this point.
The incident happened in the Nangal area, which is around 55 miles from the Ropar district headquarters. There are two big factories of National Fertilizer Limited (NFL) and Punjab Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (PACL) in this region.
Most of the children who study at the school are from the surrounding villages. In the morning, as soon as the news of the gas leak broke, the families of these children and local villagers gathered and started raising slogans against both factories. Notably, both installations have experienced numerous gas leaks and explosions in the past.
The area where these factories are located is home to many colonies, government agencies, and 15 to 20 villages with thousands of people.
Sanjay Sahani, chairman of the Nangal Nagar Council, asked, “How was permission granted to operate a private school near the factories? This should be investigated.” He also added that he called the PACL factory manager on Thursday morning after a bad smell wafted through the area but during this time, GM unequivocally denied any gas leaks from the plant.