Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A massive fire erupted at a pyro-cracker warehouse in the Satyam Vihar Colony on Monday afternoon, leaving two workers injured. The incident caused panic as the warehouse was operating within a densely populated residential area.
The fire broke out while workers were allegedly manufacturing pyro-crackers, which are commonly used in weddings and celebrations. According to eyewitnesses, as the flames spread, one worker ran outside while the other became trapped after running deeper into the warehouse in a state of panic.
The fire brigade received the alert at 12:35 pm and a team led by ASI Sushil Dubey and ASI Shobharam Malviya dispatched to the scene. Firefighters brought the blaze under control within an hour, utilising 7,000 litres of water. The injured were rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Fire brigade Assistant Sub-inspector Sushil Dubey said the victims have been identified as Sahil and Deepak. As soon as the fire started, Sahil ran towards the exit. Although he escaped the building, he sustained severe burns to his hands. Deepak, in the confusion, ran further inside the warehouse and became trapped as thick smoke filled the room. He eventually attempted to run back through the flames to exit, resulting in critical burn injuries before being rescued by the fire brigade.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined and a preliminary investigation is underway. The incident has highlighted a grave safety violation as hazardous manufacturing was being conducted in a residential locality. The warehouse was located on the ground floor of a building where families reside on the upper floors.
