LAHORE: Ten people, a woman among them, fainted when ammonia gas leaked in an ice factory at Green Town on Saturday.

Nine buffalos were killed in the incident which took place at Bagrian Morr, a densely-populated area of Green Town.

The police arrested factory owner Baqir Khan and registered a case against him.

Panicked, many residents left their abodes after they felt noxious smell in the air and a few of them fainted. The Rescue 1122 ambulances and the police shifted the affected people to hospitals, where their condition was stated to be out of danger after a few hours.

The police inquiries later revealed that ammonia gas had leaked from some cylinders stored in the ice factory. The police found out that no preventive measure was taken by the factory owner and management.

A police official said it was the second incident of ammonia gas leakage in the factory in the last few months. He said the City District Government of Lahore had sealed the factory when the first incident was reported. A number of people later gathered outside the factory and lodged strong protest against its owner.

RAPED: A man allegedly raped a disabled girl in Lorry Adda here on Saturday.

Reports said the man, yet to be identified, took the girl to a hotel room where he allegedly raped her. He later fled the scene after leaving the girl in semi-unconscious state.

A police official claimed to have arrested the suspect who was a barber by profession.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2014