Massive Fire Guts Furniture Factory, Loss Estimated In Crores In MP’s Neemuch

Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh): A massive fire broke out at Shri Nakoda Interior furniture factory near the Krishi Vigyan Kendra behind PG College in Neemuch on Wednesday, destroying furniture-making material, stock and machinery.

Thick black smoke from the factory was visible from a considerable distance, triggering panic in the surrounding area.

The fire quickly spread across several sheds on the factory premises. Wood, plywood, foam, furniture-making material and other items stored inside were engulfed in flames.

Fire tenders from Neemuch and other parts of the district were rushed to the spot to control the blaze.

Police personnel and an SDRF team also reached the factory and joined the firefighting operation. Firefighters continued to spray water to contain the flames. A large number of people gathered near the site.

Tehsildar Sanjay Malviya said efforts were underway to bring the fire under control. He said the cause of the fire would be investigated and its exact reason was not known yet.

Factory owner Deepak Bhandari said the fire started around 12.30 pm when he had gone home for lunch.

He said the factory had stock worth around Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 crore and machinery worth nearly Rs 3 crore. The exact loss will be assessed after the fire is completely extinguished. No casualties were reported.

17 lakh aid, job assured after protest

The protest over the death of an outsourced employee due to electrocution continued for nearly 12 hours on Tuesday, with the family and members of Karni Sena Parivar staging a sit-in with the body in the middle of the city from around 4 pm.

After several hours of discussions with administrative officials failed to reach an agreement, Karni Sena Parivar leader Jeevan Singh Sherpur arrived in Neemuch around midnight.

Following discussions in his presence, an agreement was reached on financial assistance, a job for a family member and action against those responsible for the incident.

The family had demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation. Sherpur said Rs 17 lakh was agreed upon, including Rs 10 lakh from insurance and Rs 7 lakh from the company and concerned persons. The latter amount is to be paid within seven days.

The family will also be offered an outsourced job. Protesters demanded an FIR against those actually responsible for the accident.

SDM Parag Jain said legal action would follow the post-mortem and that an FIR would be registered against anyone found responsible. Sherpur warned of another protest on the 12th day if the assurances are not fulfilled.