Four persons were killed and 13 others injured after a cold storage building was razed to the ground following a powerful blast triggered apparently by ammonia gas leakage in Shivrajpur area of Kanpur district. The incident occurred during lunch hours and ammonia gas leakage left those trapped under the rubbles, besides those involved in rescue operation and nearby locals, gasping for breath, which further caused irritation in their eyes. Soon, fire tenders from nearby fire stations were summoned and water was used to suppress the effect of ammonia. Besides, ambulances from nearby CHCs and private hospitals, too, rushed to the spot to transport the injured persons to hospitals. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were also
roped in at the disaster site to rescue those trapped under the debris of the huge-sized collapsed structure. More than two dozen people were working inside the cold storage building at the time of the incident. Local sources said that the cold storage building, which came into existence about a year ago, was operating without a license.
(Source: The Times of India, Mumbai, March 15, 2017)