At least 14 fire department personnel were injured — eight of them seriously — while battling a major fire at a handicrafts factory here on Wednesday evening, with drums of inflammable chemicals stored at the facility going up in flames — triggering multiple explosions.
Jodhpur Municipal Corporation Chief Fire Officer Jalaj Ghasia said fire broke out at a handicraft factory and 10 fire tenders were immediately deployed from different fire stations.
Ten fire tenders from different stations were rushed to the spot after the blaze was reported. Authorities are investigating the ownership of the premises and the manner in which the chemicals were stored. Investigation has been initiated into the matter to ascertain the ownership of the factory and permission regarding storing of such highly flammable chemical on the premises, he added. The district collector and police commissioner visited the hospital after the incident and took stock of the condition of the injured firefighters.
The fire was reported around 5.30 pm. A team of around 35 fire personnel was deployed to contain the fire. During the operation, a stone reportedly fell from the factory’s roof onto a chemical drum, causing an explosion that left 14 firefighters with burn injuries. Jodhpur Municipal Corporation Chief Fire Officer Jalaj Ghasia said fire broke out at a handicraft factory and 10 fire tenders were immediately deployed from different fire stations.
The factory — located in Ganesh Nagar area — was locked at the time, but chemicals stored in drums inside the premises caught fire, triggering a series of explosions that made firefighting operations difficult, officials said. Police Commissioner Anshuman Bhomia said flammable chemicals and thinner were being used at the factory.
