Two factory workers who had suffered severe burns from the fire at a laminate factory, Stylam Industries, in Industrial Area Phase 1, Panchkula, breathed their last at PGI on Thursday. The incident had happened on Thursday. One of the deceased has been identified as Ashok a resident of village Didwara in district Jind, Haryana, who was working as a fitter in the factory for the past 10 years. He had been living as a tenant in Sector 19, Panchkula. The other worker, Babloo, was a resident of village Abheypur, Panchkula.
The dust collector area in the laminate factory had caught fire around 6.45 am last Sunday. Initially, both the workers tried to extinguish the fire but were engulfed by it and sustained severe burns. They were rushed to Sector 6 Civil Hospital, Panchkula, from there were later refered to PGI.
The fire was later neutralised by the fire department with the help of five fire fighting vehicles within two hours as no major financial loss was reported in the factory. Police booked the factory management under Section 304 A of the IPC on the complaint of Ashoks’s father, Janeshar Singh, at Sector 20 police station, Panchkula. Janeshar claimed negligence on part of the factory for lacking adequate fire fighting and safety equipment and no proper fire exit, due to which both the victims succumbed to their injuries.
Talking to The Indian Express Janeshar stated, “My son used to stay alone and visited us in the village during his leave from work. He was my eldest son and has left behind a 19-month-old girl”. He alleged that no one from the factory even once turned up at PGI to take stock of his son’s condition nor give any financial assistance. “This is despite my son serving them for 10 long years,” said Janeshar. He also demanded a compensation from the government.
Talking to The Indian Express Station House Officer (SHO) Sector 20 police station, Mohinder Singh Dhanda, stated, “Autopsies of the two victims have been completed and bodies have been handed over to their respective families. Further investigation is being done now in the matter”.
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