Factory lacks fire safety measures

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 26

Every time a fire breaks out at any of the commercial establishments, the Fire Department pulls up its socks to take legal action against the factory owner. However, with the passage of time, their tall claims of taking action against erring owners fall flat.

The factory at Industrial Area, where a fire broke out today, lacks fire safety measures. Additional District Fire Officer (ADFO) Rajinder Sharma said when he checked the factory premises, he found no fire safety arrangements, due to which the fire could not be controlled at the first stage. “We are going to issue a notice to the factory owner, Sunil Jain, seeking his explanation about the lack of fire safety arrangements at the factory. Required action will be taken after that,” Sharma added.

Faulty machine was to be inspected in morning

A factory labourer, Shaffi, said the main machine had developed some snag on Tuesday, due to which one power phase of the machine remained on. Engineers were to arrive in the morning to rectify the fault. A short-circuit in the machine led to spark and material kept there caught fire, he added. Charanjit Singh, ASI from Division 6 police station, said no FIR was being registered against the factory owner as the fire was caused by a short-circuit.

Labourers turn Good Samaritans

Factory labourers Shaffy and Khirudin, along with six of their colleagues, helped the firefighters in rescue operations. After climbing makeshift stairs, they broke the metal window to rescue the labourers stuck on the first and second floors. “Since the fire had engulfed the entire factory premises, it took us around an hour to break the iron window to rescue people,” said ADFO Rajinder Sharma.