Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Oct 7: Property worth crores was gutted in a major fire at Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd, located in SIDCO Industrial Complex here today.
A police spokesman said that fire started at around 12.20 pm. Due to Sunday the workers were not there in the unit. Some welding work was going on in the factory premises. Apparently due to welding the fire started from the store where finished products and raw material was kept.
Though, the factory had own fire fighting system, yet own workers they could not operate it immediately as concerned men were not available immediately due to Sunday. The factory men informed local Fire Station and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
Director Fire Services, R S Sodhi disclosed that Assistant Director Fire Services and Fire Officer from Samba rushed to the site to supervise the operation. He said Fire tenders from Hiranagar, Bari Brahmana, Gangyal and Gandhi Nagar stations were rushed to the site. A total seven Fire tenders and 40 odd men were pressed into service and it took about three hours to control the fire.
Mr Sodhi said there was some breathing problem to a few firemen and they had to use smoke masks while fighting fire as chemicals were on fire in the complex. However, there was no loss of life or injury to anybody. The firemen were taking all necessary precautions during operation, he added.
SSP Samba Israr Ahmed Khan said that some welding work was going on in the factory premises and the fire started due to possible negligence on the part of men engaged at work. He said the goods kept in two stores were damaged in the fire. He said the plant of the unit remained safe as the fire was contained in time. The walls and tin roof of the factory, were damaged.
Mr Khan further said the loss of property was being assessed by the factory management and it will be premature to project total loss. He said the police has registered a case in this connection and the investigation started.
Meanwhile, Minister for Industries Surjit Singh Slathia and Dy Commissioner Samba Mubarak Singh also visited the Cadila Pharma unit this afternoon. They spoke to some management officials who had arrived there. A management official has projected the loss of property to the tune of over Rs 4-5 crore. There are nearly 400 workers in this factory, said to the largest Pharma unit in the State.
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