Mystery shrouds suspected gas leak in Nangal border villages as source still unidentified

Panic gripped the residents of Malookpur village, located on the Punjab-Himachal border near Nangal, yesterday. At around 7.30 pm, a pungent smell filled the air, accompanied by a burning sensation in the eyes and difficulty in breathing.

The distress faced by villagers remains a mystery.

The villages near Nangal are home to two major chemical industrial units, National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) and Primo Chemicals. Residents say they are used to odour emanating from the plants occasionally. But what happened on Thursday night was far from routine.

“I was walking through the village when my eyes started burning, and I could hardly breathe,” said Gurmukh Singh, a local resident. “I ran back home shouting that there was a gas leak. We warned everyone, and announcements were made from the gurdwara to stay inside. The smell lasted for about an hour.”

Several others reported similar experiences. Harkaranjeet Singh, a college student, said his eyes began to water and his throat felt dry and itchy. One youth even fainted and had to be revived by villagers.

The district administration swung into action within hours. A team led by Nangal SDM Sachin Pathak and officials from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) inspected both NFL and Primo Chemicals plants late into the night.

But what they found — or rather, didn’t find — has left everyone puzzled.

“All six ammonia sensors at NFL were checked, and none showed any leakage. Similarly, Primo Chemicals’ chlorine sensors registered no spikes,” SDM Pathak told The Tribune. “As of now, there is no evidence of leakage from either plant. PPCB is still examining the situation.”

For villagers, this official version only deepened the frustration. “If there was no leak, then why did people fall sick?” asked Ranjit Singh, another resident of Malookpur. “This has become a pattern every time people suffer, officials protect the companies. No one is ever held responsible.”

Sources in the administration suggest that investigators are now exploring a third possibility that the leak may have come from chemical-laden tankers passing through the area. Both NFL and Primo Chemicals regularly transport chemicals like ammonia and chlorine in large containers. A minor valve failure or unnoticed seepage could have released enough fumes to affect the nearby villages.

“A leak from a tanker in transit could cause temporary symptoms like those reported,” a senior official said on condition of anonymity.

For locals, though, the official explanations sound all too familiar. Many recall the 2024 incident when several students of Saint Soldier School in Nangal fainted after inhaling toxic fumes. The case made headlines, but no punitive action followed.

“It’s as if Pinto died and nobody was held responsible,” said Vijay Sharma, quoting a local proverb for futile accountability.

As investigations continue, anxiety remains high in the border belt. People say they have learned to live with industrial hazards but what they cannot accept is the silence that follows every scare.