Fire breaks out at chemical factory near Doraha

A massive fire broke out at a chemical factory near Doraha, causing significant damage but no casualties. Firefighters struggled to control the blaze.

A massive fire broke out at a chemical factory near Doraha on Friday, causing significant damage.

A fire broke out at chemical factory unit near Doraha in Ludhiana on Friday. (HT Photo)

The fire started at the chemical factory at 5.15 am. A thick plume of smoke was seen emanating from the factory’s warehouse, seeing which the locals quickly informed the factory owner.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, said officials. However, workers were not inside the factory, so no casualties were reported in the blaze. The factory owner said the flames were so intense that they were visible from a distance. He initially tried to control the blaze himself after evacuating the workers but had to call the fire brigade when the situation worsened.

Due to the severity of the fire, firefighters couldn’t enter the factory and had to break several walls to douse the flames.

Fire official Hardeep Singh said water trucks were dispatched from all nearby stations, with more than 10 fire tenders pressed into service to douse the flames. He said workers were also evacuated from a few other factories that are in its proximity. The heavy smoke inside the factory caused a few explosions.