PATNA: Five people working at a food processing unit in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district died in a major fire that hit the site and ten others were left badly injured on Monday.
Five bodies were recovered from the rubble at Tirhut Food Products Company at Chaknooran, which makes a range of bakery products. The identity of the dead was yet to be ascertained, said police.
At least 30 labourers were at work at the factory when the fire started in the wee hours of Monday, said sources. At least ten workers were said to be missing hours after the blaze was put out by the fire brigade, but there was no confirmation on the matter either by the factory management or the local administration.
“The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. A forensic science team has collected samples from the site for tests. Ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh is being paid to the next of kin of each dead worker,” said Muzaffarpur district magistrate Mohammad Sohail, who camped at the factory site and supervised the rescue operations that continued till the evening.
Sources said fire safety measures were nonexistent at the factory and that the fire started because of a leak in an LPG cylinder.
“When the fire started at about 4 AM, most of the workers were sleeping in the upper floor of the building. They could not escape because the main gate was locked, which is unusual. We are probing the matter,” said a police official.