Fire at paint storage unit in Kondhwa building kills worker

A worker died after a fire broke out at a paint material storage unit on the ground floor of a six-storey residential building in Kondhwa on Friday night, officials said on Saturday

Pune: A worker died after a fire broke out at a paint material storage unit on the ground floor of a six-storey residential building in Kondhwa on Friday night, officials said on Saturday. The incident occurred around 9.15 pm at Firdous Apartment in Vetal Nagar, where paint materials were stored on the ground floor. After receiving information about the fire, the Pune Fire Brigade rushed three fire tenders to the spot. Firefighters found the storage unit engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing from the premises.

A worker died after a fire broke out at a paint material storage unit on the ground floor of a six-storey residential building in Kondhwa on Friday night, officials said on Saturday. (HT)

The rescue team launched firefighting operations and searched the smoke-filled storage unit. During the operation, they rescued a worker trapped inside. He was in a critical condition and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors later declared him dead.

The deceased was identified as Mohammad Irfan Yusuf.

A fire brigade officer said Yusuf had been carrying out welding work at the premises on the instructions of the owner.

According to the building owner, welding work was underway when the fire broke out. Officials suspect the blaze may have been triggered by sparks generated during the welding operation, though the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control before it could spread to the residential floors, preventing what officials described as a potentially major tragedy, as several families reside in the building.

Police and fire department officials have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether the premises complied with the required fire safety norms.