NEW DELHI, Feb 3 (NNN-PTI) – At least 31 people were injured, some of them critically, yesterday, in a devastating fire in India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh, officials said.
The fire broke out inside a cosmetic factory in Jharmajri-Nalagarh of Solan district, about 77 km south-west of Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh.
The injured have been removed to different hospitals and the critical ones have been referred to Chandigarh, a senior official of the Himachal Pradesh disaster management authority, said.
According to officials, immediately after receiving the distress call, they rushed firefighters, disaster management personnel, police and health officials to the spot, to carry out rescue efforts.
Reports said, columns of thick black smoke billowed from the factory, hindering the fire-fighting operations.
Officials said, it took several hours for the firefighters to bring the fire under control. However, the search operation at the spot was on going until the last reports poured in.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the blaze.
Chances of fire in Indian factories are usually high, as people often ignore safety standards, vis-a-vis, fire.– NNN-PTI
