E-Paper
Ludhiana: 1 worker killed in factory blast, another falls to death in furnace
Incident reported hours apart in Moti Nagar and Jamalpur areas of the city; gas leak suspected behind explosion
Two workers lost their lives in separate industrial accidents in Ludhiana within a span of 24 hours, with one killed in a suspected gas explosion at a knitwear factory and another after allegedly falling into an iron furnace at a steel unit.
A powerful explosion triggered by a suspected gas leak led to the death of a 50-year-old factory worker in the Moti Nagar area late Saturday night.
The incident occurred around 2:30 am at Surya Knitwear on RK Road, where a gas leak inside a room is believed to have caused a sudden build-up of pressure, resulting in a blast followed by a fire that engulfed the area.
The victim, identified as Ram Naresh, was asleep inside the factory at the time of the incident.
The force of the explosion caused one of the walls to collapse completely, leaving him trapped inside. He sustained severe burn injuries and died on the spot.
Residents in the area said the sound of the explosion woke them from their sleep, prompting many to step out of their homes.
Police said the deceased was a native of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and had been working as a helper at the factory for a long time. He reportedly lived alone in a room within the premises.
The body has been shifted to the civil hospital mortuary
and further proceedings, including a post-mortem examination, will be carried out after the arrival of his family members.
‘Victim’s remains could not be recovered for last rites’
In another incident, a 26-year-old worker, identified as Sachin Gautam, died after allegedly falling into an iron furnace at a steel unit in Budhewal, located in Ludhiana’s Jamalpur area, on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.
Police on Sunday said an FIR has been registered against the factory owner, Ashish Aggarwal, following a complaint filed by the victim’s mother, Prabhawati Devi.
Migrant rights activist Raj Singh Rajput alleged that there was a delay in the registration of the FIR and claimed that the family had to wait for several hours outside the Ramgarh police post before the case was lodged. He also said that no arrest had been made so far and added that protesters would block GT Road if the accused was not taken into custody by Monday.
Rajput further stated that the victim’s remains could not be recovered for last rites.
SHO Jamalpur Dalbir Singh said the FIR was registered under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after the family recorded their statements. He added that CCTV footage from the factory has been seized and an investigation is underway. Police said further action will be taken based on the findings of the probe.
