The death toll in a fire at a perfume manufacturing factory in Baddi industrial area in Himachal Pradesh's Solan has risen to five as firefighters try to extinguish the blaze more than 30 hours after it broke out, authorities said on Saturday. did.
The large fire broke out on Friday around 2:45 p.m. A search is also underway for nine missing people, the official said, adding that 31 people were injured in the fire.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who visited the spot on Saturday, accused the company of criminal negligence and said the fire occurred due to the company's negligence and carelessness.
“The company has violated the necessary norms for the security and safety of its employees and orders have been issued to take appropriate action against the company. Police have registered an FIR and action has been taken against the owners of the company. “We are taking steps,” he said.
The deputy chief minister said five people have been confirmed dead so far and search operations will continue until the last one is traced. The structure of the building is highly weakened and the effects of toxic gases released from the chemicals are being felt, he added.
NR Aromas factory manager Chander Shekhar after an FIR was registered under IPC sections 285 (negligence), 336 (endangering life) and 337 (causing bodily harm and culpable homicide not amounting to murder). was arrested. police said in a statement released here.
Upon reaching the spot and taking stock of the situation, Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kundu formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Verma to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.
Deputy Commissioner Solan Manmohan Sharma said four bodies were recovered from the spot on Saturday. The woman, who was alerted to PGIMER Chandigarh, was declared dead on Friday.
The fire, which was caused by flammable materials used in the manufacture of perfumes and other cosmetics, has not yet been extinguished.
The Deputy Commissioner said that a civil investigation has been ordered into the incident and that adequate compensation will be given to the relatives of the dead and injured.
“People jumped from the first and second floors of the building to save their lives, sustaining multiple injuries to their hands, feet and even their spine,” Sharma said, adding that the cause of the fire was yet to be determined. Ta.
Witnesses said thick smoke oozing from the veneers hampered efforts to extinguish the fire, forcing workers to climb to the top of the building to ensure safety.
A video of a woman crying after her daughter went viral went viral on social media, with family and friends of the missing waiting anxiously outside the factory.
Police added that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is assessing the structural safety of the site and working to remove harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide.
Once cleared, a team of forensic experts will conduct an on-site inspection and collect the necessary evidence. Considering the complex nature of the fire, the DGP requested the state government to seek assistance from the Government of India's central forensic team.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhbinder Singh was unable to make a planned visit to the fire site as a helicopter was unable to take off due to bad weather.
He expressed sadness over the deaths caused by the devastating fire and directed the district administration to conduct an investigation and provide all possible assistance to the affected families.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
