Punjab: 3 killed in blast in paper mill

Malerkotla (Pb), Aug 22: Three workers were today killed while 19 others sustained injuries after a blast in the dryer of a paper mill here, police said.

The blast in the dryer, which is used to dry paper, took place at around 11 AM in Malerkotla, Sangrur, DSP (Amargarh) Gurmit Singh said here today. Two workers died on the spot while one succumbed to injuries in a hospital, he said.

Out of 19, six injured persons were admitted to Rajendra Hospital in Patiala and ESIC Hospital in Ludhiana. Rest of the injured, who have been admitted to civil hospital in Malerkotla, are out of danger, DSP said.

With the blast, the roof of the mill and machinery also got damaged, police said, adding investigations are underway to ascertain the reason behind the blast.

PTI