Two labourers were killed and two other are battling for life in the hospital due to an Ammonia gas leak in a Cold Storage in the state capital Lucknow late Saturday night.
About ten labourers were working in Bindeshwari Cold Storage in Itaunja late Saturday night when the gas chamber exploded leaking Ammonia gas. While six of them ran outside for a safe cover, four labourers fell unconscious after inhaling the poisonous gas.
They were rushed to the nearby Community Health Centre where Dharmendra Kumar (30) and Mishri Lal (35) were declared brought dead. The other two, identified as Vinod Kumar and (31) Parmanand (30), were referred to King George’s Medical College where their condition was stated to be critical.
Leakage of Ammonia gas caused burning and breathing problems in nearby areas. Senior district and police officials rushed to the cold storage to supervise relief work. Villagers were advised to stay at home and inform police if any of family members complained of serious breathing trouble. An ambulance was also stationed at the cold storage for any emergency.
The Circle Officer Itaunja Police Station Dr Hirdesh Katheria said that a case has been registered against the owner of the cold storage. The district administration has also ordered a probe into the chamber blast and ammonia gas leakage which took two lives.
