Cold storage unit collapses in Dhuri; 4 killed, 17 hurt

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dhuri (Sangrur), March 31

Four persons were killed and 17 injured when a cold storage facility, Guru Nanak Cold Store, collapsed at Dhuri in Sangrur district today. The building collapsed after an explosion, suspected to have been triggered by a gas leak.

Deputy Commissioner APS Virk has ordered an inquiry under the Dhuri SDM and sought a detailed report of the incident at the earliest.

The explosion also damaged a house located adjacent to the cold store building.

Sources said around 10.30 am this morning, employees heard an explosion and within seconds the building collapsed. As many as 21 persons were inside the cold store at that time, out of which four had come to purchase potatoes while the remaining were workers in the building.

“We heard an explosion and within seconds, the building was on us and we were trapped inside,” said Jaspreet Singh, an injured admitted to Dhuri civil hospital.

The deceased are Gurmeet Singh, Pappi, Pintu and Rajan, all employees of the facility. Of the 17 injured, four — Charna Singh, Manoj, Bunty and Suresh — were referred to DMC, Ludhiana, due to their critical condition.

Since the building was in Dhuri, the rescue teams of Sangrur police and the civil administration immediately reached the spot and also called teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Till the evening, four bodies were recovered. The rescue operation was going on at the time of filing of the report.

“Initial findings point out that the store foreman failed to assess the exact air pressure and it led to a blast in ammonia gas pipe. We will initiate legal action after concluding our rescue operation,” said the SSP.

After the explosion, ammonia leak also caused health problems to some areas residents and many got admitted to the local hospital with complaints of breathlessness and nausea.