At least four people were killed and 13 injured on Friday following a powerful explosion in a private cold storage in Punjab's Sangrur district, police said.

The injured have been admitted to hospitals in Sangrur and Ludhiana.

The blast occurred at the Guru Nanak cold storage owned by Harinder Singh of Kaheru, police said.

"The blast took place due to sudden and excessive outflow of ammonia gas. The explosion caused the building to collapse, leading to the death of four persons. Four of the injured are undergoing treatment at DMC Hospital in Ludhiana," a government spokesperson said here.

Amid reports that a few people could still be trapped under the debris of the building, authorities have been ordered to undertake large-scale rescue operations.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

The Chief Minister said all units deploying gas and other dangerous materials would need to follow strict rules and regulations to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. 

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