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Worker choked to death in spinning mill blaze in Ludhiana
It was a close shave for around half a dozen more labourers, who were in the unit on night shift
A man died of asphyxiation after a major fire broke out at a textile unit-cum-godown, Rosy Spinning Mills Private Limited, in Focal Point’s Phase 5 late on Saturday.
It was a close shave for around half a dozen more labourers, who were in the unit on night shift.
The victim has been identified as Banvari Lal, 47, who was taking a break on the first floor of the building, which was being used as a warehouse.
The other labourers were working on the ground floor.
The fire broke out on the first floor of the unit, reason of which is suspected to be short-circuit.
The fire brigade received information about the blaze around 1pm.
Tenders from the Focal Point fire station, about 2km from the mill, were rushed to the spot immediately.
Firefighters had to struggle to gain access to the first floor as the shutters of the godown were jammed due to heat.
It took firemen seven hours to douse the flames, which involved the fire tenders being refilled more than 45 times.
It has been learnt that the mill owner had installed fire extinguishers in his unit, but those proved insufficient to battle the blaze.
With no enough water stored in the unit, the firefighters had to refill their tenders from the Focal Point fire station.
Fire station officer Shristi Nath said, “We received the information around 1am following which, fire tenders were pressed into service. As it was a spinning mill and petroleum products were also stored in the unit, it took us around seven hours to douse the flames,” he added.
Police have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.
Industrial Area police post in-charge assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Kulwant Chand said action has been taken on the statement of Varinder, nephew of the victim, who termed it an accident.
Meanwhile, through victim’s co-workers, it was learnt that Banvari Lal, who hailed from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, had joined the factory around two weeks ago.
He used to relax in the godown as he was deployed to look after and manage the stock in the mill.
‘Didn’t know victim was in godown’
We were unaware of the victim’s presence in godown, said fire station officer Shristi Nath.
“Neither did the owner, not the labourers told us that Banvari Lal was present in the warehouse where the fire broke out,” he added.
“It was only when firefighters were dousing the flames that they found Banvari’s body and brought it down with the help of labourers,” the fire station officer said.
“Banvari had gone to the factory’s warehouse on the first floor to take a break and died because of asphyxiation. He had suffered no burn injury,” he added.
Meanwhile, Varinder, nephew of Banvari Lal, said they knew about his uncle’s presence on the first floor.
“But, by the time we rushed to rescue my uncle, he had already died. Still he was rushed to a hospital, where doctors confirmed his death,” he added.
‘Don’t want to lodge any plaint, it was an accident’
It was around 12.30am when I, along with 11 workers, was working on the ground floor of Rosy Spinning Mill that the fire broke out on the first floor, where my uncle was sleeping, said victim Banvari Lal’s nephew Varinder while sharing his first-hand account.
The victim, who belonged to Uttar Pradesh, had been residing in labour quarters in Dhandari.
Banvari used to live here with some relatives while his family, comprising wife and three children, was at his native place.
Varinder, who showed hesitance while sharing details of the incident, said the fire had broken out accidentally due to a short-circuit.
“When workers on the ground floor saw smoke emitting from the fire, they alerted the factory owner and fire brigade before rushing out of the mill. It did not take me much time to realise that my uncle, who was in charge of maintaining stock kept at the godown on the first floor (where the fire broke out) was still upstairs. I, along with another worker Dhirendra, rushed upstairs. The first floor was engulfed in smoke and my uncle was lying dead on a bed,” he said.
Varinder said they tried to revive his uncle, but “the suffocation had taken its toll and his uncle was dead by then.”
“We brought his body downstairs and rushed him to the civil hospital,” he added.
Varinder said he has informed their family and does not want to lodge any complaint as it was an accident.
