At least 37 people, including three police personnel and two firefighters, were injured after a lubricant shop in the industrial area of Sector 24 in Faridabad caught fire that triggered a chain of explosions on Monday evening, police and administration officials said.
Police said the fire broke out around 4.20pm at Kalka Lubricant Trading Company, where a large number of drums containing lubricating oil and chemicals were stored. Sheet metal cutting work on two CNC machines was also underway in the 200-square-yard shop, which employed 12 workers. Officials suspect metal fragments mixed in oil may have intensified the blaze. The shop owner was critically injured and is undergoing treatment in the burn ward at AIIMS-Delhi.
Khushi Ram Rawat, an eyewitness, said an explosion in one of the CNC machines triggered the fire. “It was initially contained inside the shop but spread soon when explosions started taking place. At least six neighbouring shops were also gutted, including mine. My crane operator, Sumit, 21, is critically injured, and I have rushed him to AIIMS-Delhi after initial treatment in Faridabad,” he said.
Police said exploding drums caused injuries to those nearby. Six motorcycles, two JCBs, four cars, including a Faridabad police emergency response vehicle, and a truck parked 50 to 100 metres away were charred. Faridabad civil surgeon Dr Jayant Ahuja said 12 injured persons were admitted to Badshah Khan civil hospital and 25 to private hospitals. “All the injured persons have sustained burn injuries caused by chemicals. Patients in the wards at the civil hospital have been shifted to make room for the burn victims,” he said. “All the doctors on leave have been asked to report on duty immediately, looking at the situation,” he added. Ahuja said they were in touch with Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS-Delhi to shift injured patients as per their conditions.
Faridabad police commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta said sub-inspector Ravi Kumar, constable Ajnesh Kumar, special police officer Abhishek and fire operators Bhuvi Chand and Ranvir were among those injured. “These five men were the first to reach the spot in a fire tender and an ERV for firefighting and rescue work when the first drum filled with chemicals inside the shop exploded, leaving them injured. Afterwards, multiple explosions took place,” he said. Additional fire and police teams were rushed to the spot.
Rakesh Yadav, fire safety officer (Faridabad), said 45 to 50 drums filled with lubricants and chemicals were stored inside the shop and on the road. “12 fire tenders from all six fire stations in Faridabad were pressed into action. The oil drums kept exploding, which spread the fire, causing injuries to those in the neighbourhood and to rescue workers at the spot,” he said. A portion of the building collapsed. “We doused the fire after almost one and a half hours of firefight but are carrying out search operations amid the debris to ascertain that no one is trapped,” he added.
Faridabad deputy commissioner of police Ayush Sinha said eight injured were shifted to Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS-Delhi via a green corridor. “Police will register an FIR to investigate what lapses and negligence resulted in the incident,” he said. Police commissioner Gupta said the cause of the fire is yet to be established, and an FIR will be registered upon receiving a complaint.