In the early hours of Sunday, a devastating fire engulfed a hand glove and jacket manufacturing company situated in the Waluj industrial area near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, claiming the lives of six workers. At the time of the incident, 13 workers were inside the factory, with seven managing to escape through the factory roof, while the others faced the harrowing situation within.
Ganesh Chate, a police inspector from MIDC Waluj police station, revealed that the workers, predominantly from North India, awoke to the escalating heat. Tragically, the exit door became inaccessible due to the rapidly spreading flames, resulting in the demise of six workers, likely due to a combination of suffocation and burns.
Following the identification of the deceased, their bodies have been sent for post-mortem at a government hospital. Some fortunate workers were able to reach the factory’s ceiling and safely descend using a nearby tree, sustaining only minor scratches.
Eight fire tenders swiftly responded to the scene, extinguishing the fire and recovering the bodies. The factory, owned by Saber Khan Pathan, is now under investigation by the authorities. The statements of workers and others are being recorded to ascertain the cause of the fire, which remains undetermined at this time.
Waluj, located approximately 15km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, stands as a vital industrial hub, housing numerous MSMEs and large factories. The incident underscores the critical importance of thorough investigations and safety measures within industrial establishments to prevent such tragic occurrences.