Ammonia gas leak at ice factory claims life, triggers panic among residents

An ammonia gas leak at the Jain Ice Factory on Old Railway Road, near the Damoria flyover here, caused panic on Saturday afternoon, resulting in the death of one factory worker and affecting nearby residents.

The leak, which occurred between 2pm and 2.30pm, quickly spread, forcing nearby shopkeepers to immediately close their businesses. As per information, four workers were trapped inside the factory during the leak, including 68-year-old Sheetal Singh, who died of suffocation. His body was sent to the Civil Hospital for a postmortem. The other three workers were rescued in time and were now reportedly stable.

The gas leak also impacted several others in the vicinity. Two migrants on a bicycle passing by the factory as well as a woman who had come to a nearby market fainted on the road due to the toxic fumes. Although they regained consciousness shortly after, their collapse raised an alarm and the local residents reported the matter to the police control room.

Kamlesh Rani, a local resident, said after two people on bicycles fell on the ground, some residents went near the factory and saw the gas leaking from the factory, and panic spread quickly. “Everyone shut the doors and windows of their houses and covered their faces as the smell was everywhere and you could feel the suffocation till 1km,” she added.

After having received the information, teams from the fire brigade and Division Number 3 police station rushed to the scene, sealing off the area and setting up barricades to prevent further exposure. Traffic was diverted and a disaster management team was called in to support the rescue efforts. The situation was brought under control within two hours, with emergency teams working to contain the leak and evacuate the area.

While the exact cause of the ammonia leak is still unknown, fire officials suspect that a pipe within the factory may have ruptured. However, a formal investigation is underway.

Jai Inder Singh, SDM, has been tasked with conducting a thorough inquiry and submitting a detailed report within 15 days. He confirmed that technical experts were called to inspect the factory, which has since been sealed. The factory’s licences and other documents are being reviewed by the administration and the municipal corporation.

The SDM further said efforts to contact the factory owner had been unsuccessful so far, and the exact cause of the leakage was still unclear. CP Swapan Sharma, Joint CP Sandeep Sharma and other senior officials visited the site. Speaking to the media, police officials said the teams acted quickly to bring the situation under control within two hours.