Three workers, including a father-son duo, died and two others were hospitalised after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a chemical disposal tank at a hand tools factory in Gagan Nagar on RK Road in Ludhiana’s Industrial Area-A in the wee hours of Monday.
Police said the deceased were Maan Singh, 46, and his son Amit Kumar, 26, both residents of Giaspura, and factory worker Sri Ram, 51. The injured, Deepak, 41, and Rajinder Bahadur, 50, also factory workers, are undergoing treatment at a hospital.
According to preliminary investigations, the workers had entered the premises of Deep Tools Private Limited to clean silt from a chemical disposal tank without any mandatory safety kits or protective gear. As the lid of the tank was opened, toxic fumes emanated from it, causing the workers to fall unconscious. Three of them died, while two others were rescued and rushed to hospital.
According to police, the factory management had hired the father-son duo at 2 am to clear the tanks. Sri Ram and two other factory workers Deepak and Rajinder Bahadur were tasked with assisting them in the operation.
Following the incident, deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain ordered a judicial inquiry. The sub-divisional magistrate (East) has been tasked with conducting the inquiry and submitting a report within two to three days. The DC said the administration would involve the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to ascertain the nature of the gas present in the tank. CCTV footage from the factory is also being examined to establish the sequence of events.
{{/usCountry}}Following the incident, deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain ordered a judicial inquiry. The sub-divisional magistrate (East) has been tasked with conducting the inquiry and submitting a report within two to three days. The DC said the administration would involve the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to ascertain the nature of the gas present in the tank. CCTV footage from the factory is also being examined to establish the sequence of events.
{{/usCountry}}The DC further said the factory owner did not inform the police or district administration about the incident and the authorities learnt about it from the hospital. He termed it grave negligence on the part of the factory management.
Ludhiana police commissioner Swapan Sharma confirmed that an FIR had been registered at the Moti Nagar police station against the factory owner under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Maan Singh’s father Ram Lal. He submitted that Deep Tools Private Limited had two chemical disposal tanks, each with a capacity of 10,000 litres. He alleged that the factory had roped in a Dera Bassi-based private firm to remove sludge from the tanks and dispose of it as per prescribed norms. However, in an attempt to cut costs, the factory management bypassed the agency and engaged private workers to clean the tanks.
He further alleged that the extracted sludge was illegally discharged into sewer lines instead of being disposed of through the approved procedure.
Deputy commissioner of police (Rural) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said the exact chemical nature of the toxic fumes will be established through a forensic investigation.
Deceased Amit Kumar was the only brother among four sisters. He had celebrated his daughter’s first birthday just two days ago.
The family said he and his father, Maan Singh, were the primary breadwinners of the 11-member household, comprising Maan’s parents, wife, four daughters, son, a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter.
Their deaths have left the family devastated and facing an uncertain future, said Maan’s daughter Renu. Demanding strict action against the factory owner, she alleged that the management did not inform the family about the incident. She also alleged that when they reached the factory, guards did not allow them to enter the premises.