At least one person was feared trapped under debris after a cold storage unit collapsed at Bhagta Bhai Ka village in Bathinda on Wednesday.
District authorities called in the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for an organised rescue operation. Fire brigade teams also responded after an ammonia leak was reported.
Deputy commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said two workers were rescued successfully, but at least one employee of the warehouse was still missing.
“Rescue teams were sent soon after the incident was reported in the afternoon. Initial inputs suggest a cylinder blast occurred that crashed the facility. A team of district officials under the Rampura Phul subdivisional magistrate (SDM) Veerpal Kaur is overseeing the search and rescue operation,” said the DC.
DC said a detailed probe would be conducted to ascertain the cause behind the mishap once the rescue operation concluded. Officials said a foul smell emanating from the collapsed site made rescue operations difficult.
The cold storage facility is used to stock potatoes grown in the Rampura Phul area. The unit is owned by a business family from Bhagta Bhai Ka.