A massive fire has broken out at a pharma company factory in Gujarat's Valsad. Several fire engines have been rushed to the spot. Visuals from the cite showed thick plumes of smoke billowing from the building. The building is located in the Vapi GIDC area.
The Valsad factory fire comes less than 24 hours after another blaze in Gujarat's Surat, which killed two women.
A fire broke out on Wednesday evening at the Amrutaya Spa & Gym in Surat's Citylight area, resulting in the deaths of two employees. The spa was operational when the fire erupted, while the gym on the same floor was closed. Authorities suspect an electrical short circuit caused the fire.
Divisional Fire Officer Harish Gadhvi said, "The gym and a saloon are on the same floor. The gym was closed due to Diwali and 5 people were working in the saloon. Three people managed to escape, but the other two couldn't escape. The deceased, both women, were from the Northeast. The three survivors will be questioned."
The two deceased women were aged between 25 and 27 years.
Surat Mayor Daxesh Kishorbhai Mavani said efforts were on to identify if there was any negligence. A forensic team has been called, and those who escaped will also be questioned as part of the investigation into the fire’s cause.
Fire Kills Child In Madhya Pradesh
In a separate incident, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl was killed and a five-year-old boy was critically injured in a fire that broke out in a makeshift structure built to guard a field In Madhya Pradesh. The accident occurred around noon on Tuesday in Komortanpur village, under the jurisdiction of Gadhi police station.
At the time, the young girl's father was in a neighbouring village arranging labourers, while the boy’s father, Dafelal, was attending a funeral. The mothers of both children were working approximately 300 metres away, harvesting paddy.
The children were playing on a raised pavilion made from grass, wood, and sheets, designed as a lookout point for the field. Accessed by a ladder, the structure unexpectedly caught fire. The boy managed to jump down, escaping with serious burns, but the girl, Dineshwari, was unable to escape and lost her life in the blaze.
Upon hearing the children's cries, their mothers raised an alarm and sought help. Locals rushed to the scene to help extinguish the flames. The injured boy was initially treated at the Gadhi government hospital before being transferred to the district hospital. After the postmortem, the girl’s body was returned to her family for last rites.
Initial investigations suggest that the children may have been playing with matchsticks, accidentally sparking the fire.