Ghotawade Phata Pune Fire: 17 Dead, 10 Missing; Firefighters Battle Massive Flames

Out of 37 on-duty employees, 20 have been rescued, ANI reported the fire department as saying.

Ghotawade Phata Pune Fire Accident

Pune: At least 17 people died and around 10 others were reported missing after a massive fire broke out at a sanitizer-manufacturing unit in Maharashtra’s Pune city on Monday.

At least 17 persons, mostly women, were killed in a major fire, followed by explosions, that erupted in a sanitiser manufacturing factory in Maharashtra's Pune district on Monday afternoon, officials said.

The fire, which took place in the company located in Pune’s Ghotawade Phata area, trapped around a dozen workers inside. The blaze erupted around 3 p.m. in private chemical company, SVC Ltd, in the MIDC area of Pirangut village, and quickly spread within the enclosed premises, trapping many working there.

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As per latest reports, a big contingent of the local fire department has arrived on the scene and battling the flames as they rescue those trapped inside.

At least eight fire tenders are at the spot and efforts to rescue those trapped continue.

While at least 17 persons perished in the blaze, around 10 other workers are feared trapped or missing in the incident, said an official of Pune Rural Police Control.

Locals who rushed to the spot said that many of the male workers managed to escape through the smoke and flames, and at one point the relief teams had to bulldoze a factory wall to rescue some others including women, trapped inside.

The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakhs each from the PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to fire at an industrial unit in Pune, Maharashtra. Rs. 50,000 would be provided to those injured, PMO informed.

(With Agency Inputs)