A devastating fire broke out at a cosmetic factory in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, on Friday, claiming the life of one woman, injuring 31 individuals, and leaving nine people missing. The incident has prompted an extensive firefighting operation involving over 22 vehicles, including fire brigade units from Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh.
Fire officer Sanjeev, providing an update on the ongoing operations, stated, “The work of extinguishing the fire is still underway. More than 22 vehicles have been deployed, which includes fire brigade vehicles from Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, along with other vehicles from nearby industries that have also been procured to bring the fire under control. We are continuously fighting the fire from outside. The exact number of casualties can’t be made out.”
Prem Singh, the father of a victim injured in the fire, shared the harrowing experience of searching for his daughter Rakhi, a 23-year-old employee at the cosmetic factory. Despite reaching the site immediately upon learning about the incident, he is still attempting to locate his daughter’s name among the list of the injured.
Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kundus assured that actions would be taken after the relief and rescue work is completed. “This is a perfume factory, and there are chemicals and ethyl alcohol used in the factory because of which it has been difficult to control the fire. Our priority is to take the injured to the hospital. Actions will be taken after the relief and rescue work is done. Firefighters, NDRF, and SDRF are working to control the fire,” Kundu stated.
The challenging nature of the fire, fueled by chemicals and ethyl alcohol in the cosmetic factory, has added complexity to the firefighting efforts. As rescue and relief operations persist, the community anxiously awaits further updates on the missing individuals and the overall impact of the tragic incident.
