NEW DELHI (AP) — Eleven people died and four were hospitalized after a gas leak Sunday in the northern Indian state of Punjab, according to local media.
The incident occurred in an industrial area in the city of Ludhiana, although the source of the gas was still unclear, police told the Press Trust of India news agency.
The Indian National Disaster Response Force cordoned off the crowded area and evacuated residents.
Authorities were trying to determine what type of gas had leaked, emergency officials told PTI.
Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik told the news agency that the gas may have spread through the sewers.
“We are going to collect samples from the sewers. It is quite likely that some chemical reacted with the methane in the sewers,” he said.
State Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a tweet that the gas came from a factory, without elaborating. “All possible help is being provided,” he added.
