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9-month-old dies in Mohali factory blaze

“The fire was intense, and the heat levels were extremely high, which made it difficult to douse the flames initially,” said fire officer Suresh Kumar

While the flames were eventually brought under control, the incident claimed the life of a 9-month-old girl and left two workers severely injured (Express)

A nine-month-old infant died while two others were injured after a massive fire broke out at an iron die manufacturing factory, in Mohali’s Phase-5 industrial area on Monday morning. The blaze, suspected to be caused by a short circuit, erupted around 9:45 am at plot number D-39.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing thick smoke billowing from the premises, triggering panic in the vicinity. Locals immediately informed the fire department, following which multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

“The fire was intense, and the heat levels were extremely high, which made it difficult to douse the flames initially,” said fire officer Suresh Kumar, who led the rescue operation. “We managed to control the fire using water jets and secured the area,” he added.

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While the flames were eventually brought under control, the incident claimed the life of a 9-month-old girl and left two workers severely injured. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Preliminary investigation points to exposed and dangling electric wires inside the unit as the possible cause. “The wires appeared loose and may have sparked the short circuit,” Kumar noted. He ruled out any gas cylinder explosion, saying, “no signs of blast or any other secondary trigger have been found”.

Officials also flagged a safety violation, revealing that the pantry cabin was constructed inside the factory premises, which may have exacerbated the situation.

Police have launched an investigation and are inspecting safety compliance and accountability in the unit.

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