One dead, 4 injured after fire breaks out in Narela’s plastic factory

A 27-year-old labourer died while four others including three firefighters sustained severe burn injuries when a massive fire broke out at a plastic factory located in the Narela Industrial area in Outer Delhi on Wednesday evening. According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Sanjan Kumar. Meanwhile, the injured firefighters have been identified as ADO AK Jaiswal, SO Tejpal and Firearm Anup Kumar. Police said that rescue operations are still continuing as two other firefighters are still trapped in the debris after the top floor of the building collapsed on them while they were trying to douse the flames. Along with them, one labourer too is reportedly trapped inside.

According to the Delhi Fire Services, they got a call at around 4.40 pm that fire erupted at a room on the ground floor where the boiler was placed. Sources said that after a loud blast took place in the boiler room, the fire spread to the first and second floors of the three-storeyed building. The official said that the three-storeyed building was a warehouse where plastic glasses were made.

Eyewitnesses told cops that it was due to the impact of the fire that the top floor of the building allegedly fell on the firefighters who were trying to put out the blaze. Three firefighters were trapped under the debris.

Meanwhile, a senior police official of the Outer District said that since the rescue operations were still going on till late Thursday evening till the time this report was filed, they are yet to take action. In the preliminary investigation, it appears that the fire was caused due to a short-circuit.

According to a Delhi Fire Services officer, initially, at the time of the call of fire, which was at 4.40 pm, they had sent 20 fire tenders to the plastic factory located in Narela to douse the flames. However, later, five more engines were rushed in to the spot to control the blaze that had started in the three-storeyed factory.

Sources said that out of the four injured, while one was discharged after treatment the others are undergoing treatment at Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh area. A fire department official said that out of the injured, Fireman Anup, who received 30 per cent burn injuries was rushed to the Ganga Ram hospital. A firefighter present at the spot said although it took more than 18 hours to control the blaze, till late on Thursday evening, cooling operations were carried out to completely douse the flames.