Noida factory fire: Missing man, 28, found dead

After four days of efforts, the fire was completely doused on Sunday, said fire officials. Since then, a search operation had been underway to locate the missing worker

Noida: A 28-year-old man, who was reported missing in the Noida Sector 4 factory fire on Thursday, was found dead inside the basement of the factory early Monday morning, police said.

The SHO said, “Kumar’s body was partially burned. His body was sent for post-mortem and family members were informed. Except for Kumar, no other worker’s missing person was reported yet.” (HT Photos)

On Thursday around 5 am, a massive fire broke out in the basement of a three-storey factory involved in making electric meters in Noida Sector 4.

Due to the fire, at least 35 people sustained injuries after they allegedly jumped from the second or third floor of the building to save themselves. All injured were admitted to a hospital in Sector 39 while one, who sustained severe head injuries was referred to Safdarjung Hospital. Police said that his condition is also stable.

After four days of efforts, the fire was completely doused on Sunday, said fire officials. Since then, a search operation had been underway to locate the missing worker.

“Early Monday morning, the body of missing person Upendra Kumar, a resident of Harola in Sector 5, was found in the debris of the basement,” said Amit Kumar Maan, station house officer, Phase 1.

The SHO said, “Kumar’s body was partially burned. His body was sent for post-mortem and family members were informed. Except for Kumar, no other worker’s missing person was reported yet.”

The fire triggered in the basement of the factory, which filled the above floor with a thick smoke through the stairs. At the time of the incident, around 250 people were working in the factory. Prima facie, fire officials suspected that a short-circuit, might be the reason behind the fire.

A fire officer, requesting anonymity, said, “The fire was controlled on Sunday after using hundreds of fire tenders and water tankers. Due to flammable materials like plastic and boxes, we encountered difficulty in dousing the fire.”

When contacted, Pradeep Kumar Chuabey, Chief Fire Officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, to ask what type of firefighting lapses were found in the investigation, he did not respond to multiple calls.