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
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 3, 2024
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Chadha, others wouldn't have left AAP had it followed 'right' path: Anna Hazare
Mumbai (PTI): Social activist Anna Hazare has said Raghav Chadha and six other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha members would not have quit the party had it followed the "right" path.
"Everyone has the right to hold an opinion in a democracy. They (Chadha and others) must have faced some trouble, which is why they left," Hazare told reporters on Friday in Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra.
AAP Rajya Sabha members Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak addressed a joint press conference in Delhi on Friday, announcing their exit from the Arvind Kejriwal-led party to join the BJP.
Chadha claimed that nearly two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members had quit the party and would function as a separate faction.
"It is their (AAP leadership’s) fault. Had that party followed the right way, they would not have left," Hazare said.
Hazare reiterated that Chadha and others must have faced difficulties within AAP, and that is why they left. "Had the party gone in the right direction, they would not have quit the party," he added.
"There must be some or the other reason (for their leaving AAP). In a democracy, every person has a view about where to stay and leave," Hazare said.
The Chadha-led exodus marks a significant setback for the Kejriwal-led party since its formation in 2012, which followed the momentum of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement.
