Himachal factory fire: Death toll rises to 5, efforts to control blaze underway

The death toll in the fire at a perfume manufacturing unit in the Baddi industrial area of Himachal Pradesh's Solan increased to five as firefighters were working to bring the blaze under control more than 30 hours after it started, officials said on Saturday.

The massive fire broke out around 2:45 pm on Friday. A search is also underway to trace nine persons who are still missing, a senior officer said, adding that 31 people suffered injuries in the fire.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who visited the site Saturday, accused the company of criminal negligence and said the fire broke out due to its negligence and carelessness.

''The company violated the standards necessary for security and safety of the workers and orders have been issued for adequate action against the company. Police have registered an FIR and action is being taken against the owners of the company,'' he said.

The deputy chief minister said the death of five persons has been confirmed so far and the search operation would continue till the last person is traced. The building structure has become very weak and the effect of toxic gases emitted by chemicals is being felt, he added.

After an FIR under sections 285 (negligence), 336 (endangering life), 337 (causing hurt and (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC was registered, the factory head of N R Aromas company, Chander Shekhar, has been arrested, the police said in a statement issued here.

Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu, who reached the spot and took stock of the situation, constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Verma to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

Deputy Commissioner of Solan Manmohan Sharma said four bodies were recovered from the site on Saturday. A woman referred to the PGIMER Chandigarh was declared brought dead on Friday.

The fire is yet to be brought under control as inflammable substances used for manufacturing perfumes and other cosmetics are catching fire, he said.

The deputy commissioner said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, and adequate compensation would be given to the kin of the dead and the injured.

''People jumped from the first and second floors of the building to save their lives and sustained multiple injuries on hands, legs and even spine,'' Sharma said and added that the reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Thick smoke oozed from the cosmetic material hindered the fire-fighting operations, and workers climbed on top of the building for safety, eyewitnesses said.

The family members and friends of the missing people are anxiously waiting outside the factory and a woman whose daughter is missing was seen wailing in a video that went viral on social media.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is assessing the structural safety of the site and working to clear it of hazardous gases such as Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Sulphide and Sulphur Dioxide, police added.

Following the clearance, a team of forensic experts will conduct spot inspection and collect necessary evidence. Given the complex nature of the fire, the DGP has requested the state government for assistance from the Central Forensic Science Team of the Government of India.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu could not undertake a proposed visit to the site of the fire as his helicopter could not take off due to inclement weather.

He expressed grief over the deaths in a devastating fire and directed the district administration to conduct an inquiry into it and to 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.)