Baddi factory fire: Search on for 5 missing workers, police in MP on trail of owner
Baddi SP says remains of bodies sighted in perfume factory but toxic fumes delaying rescue; police find company stocked up chemicals to meet orders for perfumes given Valentine’s Day
Three days after five people died in a perfume factory fire at Jharmajri village near the Baddi industrial town in Solan district, rescuers on Monday continued the search for five workers who are still missing. The special investigation team of the Himachal Pradesh Police is also on the trail of the absconding factory owner, Nilesh Patel.
A court has issued non-bailable warrants against three accused brothers, owner Nilesh Patel, Siddharth Patel and Milan Patel, all resident in residing in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam.
Police said that there were 85 people in the factory at the time of the incident on Friday. Of them, five lost their lives, 29 were injured and 47 were rescued.
Chander Shekhar, the manager of NR Aroma Company, was arrested and booked under Sections 285 (negligence), 336 (endangering life), 337 (causing hurt) and 299 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The police dispatched a team to Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh in search of the factory’s owner.
The five missing people were identified as Champo Devi, Kajal Bharati, Kalpana Ahirwar, Vijay Yadav and Kajal. Their families were camping outside the factory as the police prevented them from entering the premises as the fire had still not been completely extinguished and the building had been declared unsafe. The workers raised slogans against the police and factory management and barricades were put up to prevent them from entering the factory.
An inconsolable Sarvdayal, the husband of Champo Devi said, “My aged mother is ailing and my six-year-old daughter has been crying for her mother who has been missing for the past three days.”
Baddi superintendent of police Ilma Afroz inspected the factory and said that remains of bodies have been sighted inside, but teams were facing difficulties in entering the factory due to toxic fumes. “The hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide inside is delaying the search operation,” she said.
“The SIT is looking into the cause of the fire and evaluating safety norms and regulations. Police and the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force and firefighters responded promptly to the crisis and measures are being taken to provide rescue and aid to the victims,” state police chief Sanjay Kundu said.
“From February 6, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSI), Chandigarh, will joint the investigative team. Their expertise will be crucial in collecting and analysing samples,” Kundu added.
