A gas leak killed at least 11 people in India's northern state of Punjab on Sunday, including children; 11 others were hospitalized.
"A total of 11 people are dead. There are five females and six males including 2 male children aged 10 years and 13 years," a local official was quoted as saying by an Indian news agency.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Twitter that the gas leak had occurred at a factory in Giaspura, an industrial area in the city of Ludhiana. Police, government and the National Disaster Response Force responded to the incident, the official added.
As soon as the incident was brought to light, the local authorities raised an alarm, and vacated the entire area, leaving residents worried about their family members who got stuck in the affected area.
While some shared that their family members have died in the disaster, others recalled that the face of the people lying unconscious on the ground turned blue.
A team of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies (CBRN) comprising of 35 members have been deployed in the area to investigate the gas leak incident.
"The area is being isolated and the source of gas is being identified," said NDRF Inspector General (IG) Narendra Bundela.