One dies in Ghatkopar fire

A 20-year-old worker in a garment factory along the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road died after his workplace was gutted in a major fire on Wednesday. HT reports.

A 20-year-old worker in a garment factory along the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road died after his workplace was gutted in a major fire on Wednesday. The police suspect he entered the factory at night from the roof with an intention to rob when the fire broke out.

HT Image

The police have identified the worker as Jai Prakash Jha, a native of Bihar, who had been working with Khwaish Garments Factory since a few months.

The factory’s owner Kalander Sheikh, had locked the shop on Tuesday after ensuring there was no one inside, said the police. The fire reportedly broke out at around 3:30 am.

Investigating officials said that because of the darkness, Jha might have lit a matchstick for visibility. A spark from the matchstick could have fallen on the cloth bundles lying there and caught fire. “That could lead to fire,” said a police officer requesting anonymity.

The officials said that afraid of getting harmed, Jha could have holed himself in the bathroom, from where his charred body was found.

The locals who learnt about the fire, alerted the police and the fire brigade who doused the fire around 5 am. Jha was rushed to Rajawadi Hospital but was declared dead before admission. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Shintre said: “Further investigation in on in the case”.