Toll in cracker factory blaze in Saharanpur reaches 5

Saharanpur: With two more deaths, the death toll in a blaze in a firecracker factory here has reached five, police said on Sunday.

A sudden fire had broken out in the factory, located in Sorana village in Sarsawa area on Saturday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akash Tomoar said that three persons, including Rahul, the factory license holder, perished in the blaze on Saturday while two more died during treatment.

The condition of one more person is stated to be serious and he was rushed to PGI Chandigarh, the SSP said.

The fire spread fast because of the inflammable material, and led to an explosion which had made the situation more chaotic, and by the time fire tenders and police reached the spot, some of the workers had suffered serious injuries, he said.

The fire bellowed with such intensity that some bikes and cars which were parked near the factory too caught flames and were reduced to ashes, the SSP added.