Baddi Fire: Kin of missing workers try to enter unit

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, February 4

Kin of several missing workers today tried to enter the gutted perfume manufacturing unit, NR Aroma, at Jharmajri in Barotiwala in search of their family members. Though the police claimed that five workers were missing, kin of at least seven migrant workers gathered outside the factory and sought information about their relatives.

Forensic team visits perfume factory

• Director Forensic Science Lab Dr Minakshi paid a visit to the gutted factory with her team though only the outer area could be examined. She said their team would collect forensic samples for probing the cause of the fire
• She said since it was a perfume manufacturing factory, vapours of aromatic compounds like alcohol, acetone, ether, etc could have caught fire
• The NDRF staff conducted a thorough search of the 2nd & 3d floor to look for missing bodies but without success. Store and packaging area was located on the third floor

Power supply to 8 industrial units yet to be restored

Electricity supply to 42 industrial units in the vicinity had been snapped in view of their safety soon after the fire incident. While partial supply was restored to most units by evening , the supply to eight units was yet to be restored as the authorities were pondering demolition of the unsafe building after completion of the forensic examination.

They were, however, stopped by the police who had barricaded the unit premises. The double-storey building was unsafe and could crumble any time after it was gutted on Friday. Since tonnes of water had been sprinkled on it to douse the blaze, its walls and roof had become weak and could cave in any moment. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) staff had directed the police and a team of forensic science experts not to enter the premises as it was unsafe.

Two wailing family members of Kajal, a missing migrant worker, arrived at the crime scene and tried to enter the tattered building. They sought help of authorities to trace their kin.

Kajal is yet to be traced for the last three days. She is among four other migrants — Champo, Kajal Bharti and Kalpana Ahirwal — who were still missing. Barring Champo who is from Chamba, all others hail from Uttar Pradesh. Another migrant, Vijay Dubey of Arrah district of Bihar was added to the list today.

A team of police led by Baddi SP Ilma Afroz conducted a quick search of the building where some body parts were found. She said these body parts would be lifted for their DNA analysis. Being unsafe, the building was not fit for collecting samples presently. A car, three bikes and a scooty parked inside the premises were also charred in the around eight-hour blaze.

Director Forensic Science Lab Dr Minakshi paid a visit to the gutted factory with her team though only the outer area could be examined.

While talking to mediapersons, she said their team would camp in Baddi and collect forensic samples for probing the cause of the fire.

“Preliminary study of only the exterior area has been conducted on the basis of 3-D crime scene videography. A study of the fire pattern inside and outside the unit would help to zero in on the cause. The team will draw samples from the factory premises for lab analysis to establish the cause of the blaze and nothing can be said as of now,” she stated.

She said since it was a perfume manufacturing factory vapours of aromatic compounds like alcohol, acetone, ether, etc could have caught fire. Such a reaction causes a blast as they were highly inflammable. She, however, said no conclusion can be drawn immediately about the cause of the fire till various samples are analysed in the lab.

She added that while the police was examining the structural stability, the precautionary measures which should be adopted while handling chemicals used in this unit would be included in the report which would take about 10 days.

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