2019-05-20 6 workers suffer burns, 2 critical as textile unit gutted in blaze
India May 20 2019 “Factories”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : --- Injured : injured 1 to 9
6 workers suffer burns, 2 critical as textile unit gutted in blaze
Updated: 2019–05–20
GURUGRAM: Six workers suffered burns in a fire at a textile printing unit in Khandsa on Sunday. Two of the six workers, according to police, were referred to a Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi as they suffered critical injuries.
The textile printing unit located in the basement of a building caught fire around 3.30am. The workers were inside the unit when the fire broke out. The cause of blaze is not clear. Workers said a short circuit could have triggered the fire, while police and the fire department have not confirmed it yet.
The machinery and materials inside the unit were gutted. The godown on the ground floor remained unaffected by the fire, which was restricted to the basement. Injured workers are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Delhi and Gurugram.
IS Kashyap, fire safety officer of Gurugram, said the fire brigade received the call around 3.38am about the blaze in a factory unit in Khandsa. “Three fire tenders were dispatched — two from Sector 37 fire station and one from Sector 29 fire station. The fire tenders returned to the stations around 5.30am,” said Kashyap, adding they managed to douse the blaze and averted casualty.
By the time fire officials reached at the spot, workers were rescued from the basement of the unit and rushed to a local hospital. The injured workers were first taken to a private hospital in Sector 10A. Workers Ravinder and Arun suffered critical injuries. Kamlesh, Chhote Lal, Santosh and one more worker were shifted to a private hospital in Gurugram. They suffered injuries on their hand, leg and chest.
All these workers are in the age group of 30-40 years and hail from UP. They have been working in the unit for a few years now and living in the city. The families are in their hometowns.
“We were in the night shift, which was about to end when a tubelight burst, leading to outage. All of a sudden there was darkness, and we suffered injuries while trying to get out of the unit,” said a worker, adding the fire was caused due to short circuit.
Police and the fire department said they can give the exact reason only after completing the investigation. “A police team rushed to the spot, and ensured the injured were taken to hospital,” said police spokesperson Subhash Boken, adding so far police have not received any complaint.
Chairman of Industrial Development Association Deepak Maini said the unit is located in Khandsa village. “We visited the spot but could not meet the owner. So far, the association has not received any call from the unit owner seeking help,” said Maini.
People living in the neighbourhood said there was no huge quantity of materials inside the unit. “It seems workers were sleeping inside the unit when fire broke out. Otherwise, they would have managed to escape unhurt,” said a resident in the area.
Meanwhile, around half a dozen shanties were gutted in a blaze in Sheetla Mata Colony. No one suffered injuries. “We received a call around 3.58am and fire tenders returned to the fire station around 6.35am. Four fire tenders were engaged in firefighting,” said Kashyap.
Web Source:
The Nation
Date:19May, 2019.India