Himachal factory fire: Four of five deceased identified
Shimla (PTI): Four of the five deceased in the fire at a perfume manufacturing unit in the Baddi industrial area of Himachal Pradesh's Solan have been identified and all were women, officials on Sunday said.
The injured woman, who was declared dead on Friday by the PGIMER Chandigarh was identified as Pinki, while three of the four bodies recovered from the factory ashes on Saturday were identified as Rahnuma, Shashi and Rakhi respectively.
So far, five people have been killed in the massive fire that broke out around 2:45 pm on Friday and the search for missing four persons is underway.
Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma had on Saturday morning said that 13 persons were missing.
"People jumped from the first and second floors of the building to save their lives and sustained multiple injuries on hands, legs and even spine," Sharma said and added that the reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained.
However, five out of them were traced on Saturday and the search for remaining four missing persons is on still, the officials said.
The possibility of number going up cannot be ruled out, they said.
As per the the details released by the state emergency operation centre, about 30 people have sustained injuries and have been admitted to various hospitals.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who visited the site on Saturday, accused the company of criminal negligence and said that the fire broke out due to its negligence and carelessness.
"The company violated the standards necessary for security and safety of the workers, and orders have been issued for adequate action against the company. Police have registered an FIR and action is being taken against the owners of the company," he said.
The deputy chief minister said that the death of five persons has been confirmed so far and the search operation would continue till the last person is traced.
The building structure has become very weak and the effect of toxic gases emitted by chemicals is being felt, he added.
Chander Shekhar, the factory head of N R Aromas company, has been arrested after an FIR was registered against him under sections 285 (negligence), 336 (endangering life), 337 (causing hurt and (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the police said in a statement issued here.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Verma has bene constituted to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter while a magisterial enquiry has been ordered by the Solan DC.
Thick smoke of hazardous gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide oozing from the cosmetic material hindered the fire-fighting operations, and the workers climbed on top of the building for safety, eyewitnesses said.
VIDEO | Himachal factory fire: “The way this incident has occurred, it is not common; it is a clear case of criminal negligence. Five people have lost their lives in the incident. People didn’t get time to save themselves because raw materials being used in the factory were… pic.twitter.com/l6iUYy39Fr
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
