Chemical drums explode in blaze, 4 firemen injured

Ghaziabad: Four firefighters were injured, two of them sustaining severe burns while trying to douse an ablaze that broke out at a factory in Sahibabad industrial zone on Thursday afternoon. Several chemical drums stored at the warehouse of the factory exploded making firefighting difficult, chief fire officer Rahul Pal said. Seventy workers were inside Robotek Electrical Pvt Ltd at Site IV when the fire started around 2.30 pm. Multiple fire engines, sent to the spot from parts of Ghaziabad, Noida, Hapur and Bagpat, controlled the blaze in eight hours around 10.30 pm.“Two fire engines from Sahibabad fire station were pressed in immediately. Our men found the fire was spreading rapidly in an air-conditioned and insulated warehouse, used to store chemicals in iron drums, on the ground floor of the two-storey factory,” Pal said. As the fire raged, more units — four from Vaishali, 3 from Kotwali, one each from Loni, Modi Nagar and neighbouring Noida, Hapur and Baghpat — were sent to the spot.“Within a short span, the chemical drums started to explode with high intensity. Even as our unit was trying to douse the blaze by spraying water from a distance, firemen Atar Singh, Akshay Maan, Arun Kumar and Gaurav Tomar were injured in one of the explosions,” Pal said.Singh, a lead fireman, and Tomar suffered sustained burns on their hands and face, the two others were severely injured, the chief fire officer added.Firemen had to break and cut walls, gates and shutters of the factory to contain the fire in one part of the warehouse. “Around 9 pm, our units were able to enter the factory and completely extinguished the fire. There was no damage to the building’s quality testing lab, generator and panel rooms, and two other warehouses where chemicals and readymade goods were stored,” the officer said.While the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that a short circuit in the cooling unit installed for the warehouse had sparked it.

Massive fire at engine oil factory in Kolkata

Learn about the recent fire incident at an engine oil manufacturing factory in Kolkata. Nine fire tenders were deployed to control the blaze in the Shairabad area. Luckily, no injuries have been reported so far. Stay tuned for further updates.

Fire breaks out at Delhi electronics store, doused

Early morning fire at shop in Shahbad Dairy, northwest Delhi. Fire services officials report blaze in electronic goods store. Three fire tenders took two hours to douse flames. Stay tuned for more updates.

Two dead after shots are fired at a Virginia gym

Tragic shooting incident at OneLife Fitness gym in Virginia results in two fatalities. The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the matter. Learn more about the sad event at the health club in Alexandria.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.