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4 bodies recovered from Baddi firm, toll climbs to 5
Over 30 people have been injured in the fire and are under treatment at various hospital, with four critical patients being treated at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh
A day after a major fire devastated the perfume factory in Baddi industrial area of Himachal’s Solan district, police recovered four unidentified bodies on Saturday. The death toll has climbed to five and nine people are still feared missing.
Over 30 people have been injured in the fire and are under treatment at various hospital, with four critical patients being treated at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
“The bodies recovered are charred beyond recognition There were 85 workers inside the factory when the fire broke out,” said director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu.
Police have arrested Chandu Chandrashekhar, the plant head of NR Aroma, for negligence.
He has been booked under Sections 285 (negligent conduct for fire or combustible matter), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Barotiwala police station.
Police have appealed to the public to contact the Police Control Room immediately if they have any information regarding the missing individuals. “As there are a lot of toxic gases, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) gave go ahead to rescue teams in the afternoon and the forensic experts to examine the building and ascertain the cause of the fire,” he said.
Industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the toll could be more. “ Government will study the safety aspects in the factories in Himachal to make them safer for workers,” he said. Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri inspected the site of the blaze.
Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who could not fly to Baddi due to bad weather, expressed grief over the deaths. He directed the administration to conduct an inquiry into this mishap and to provide all-possible assistance to the affected families. He also wished speedy recovery to the injured.
Magisterial inquiry ordered, SIT formed
The DGP has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. The SIT comprises additional superintendent of police (ASP) Ashok Verma, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Khazana Ram and Barotiwala station house officer (SHO) sub-inspector Sanjay Sharma.
Solan deputy commissioner Manmohan Sharma has also ordered a magisterial probe by additional deputy commissioner Solan, to be completed within a month.
The fire at the plant, located in Jharmajri, Barotiwala, had broken out around 1.30 pm on Friday. About a dozen fire tenders, from Himachal, Haryana, Punjab and local industries were pressed into service to control the fire.
A female worker was brought dead to PGIMER, Chandigarh. The NDRF is currently assessing the structural safety of the site and working to clear it of hazardous gases, such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide.
After the clearance, a team of HP Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) will conduct a spot inspection and collect necessary evidence. The SIT will also visit the site to collect evidence and conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
Given the complex nature of the fire, the DGP has requested the state government for assistance from the Central Forensic Science Team.
