Chemical factory gutted, narrow escape for workers

Ghaziabad: A fire broke out in a chemical factory in Udyog Kunj, gutting goods worth Rs 1 crore, on Wednesday afternoon. About 15 fire tenders, which were pressed into service, finally brought it under control after six hours of firefighting. No causalities have been reported.There was panic in Udyog Kunj after two massive explosions that ripped apart Bharat Chemical, a paint manufacturing factory, shortly after noon.

While people ran for safety, the factory was completely engulfed in the fire with thick plumes of smoke that could be seen from quite a distance.An eyewitness, Mansukh Lal, said he and some other witnesses had just finished their lunch when they heard a loud explosion and rushed towards Bharat Chemical factory. “We saw the factory in flames even though about a dozen workers were rushing out,” said Mansukh Lal, who works in a nearby factory. “Such was the intensity of the fire that in less than half an hour it completely engulfed the factory and also spread in a nearby factory,” he said.”Around 1.15pm we received a call that a fire has broken out in a chemical factory and initially we rushed five fire tenders to the spot,” R K Yadav, fire station officer, said.