Blaze erupted in one factory, spread to chemical drums at adjacent unit: Police on Faridabad fire that left 37 injured

The fire had broken out around 4 pm on Monday when sparks from a machine — used for cutting steel plates — landed in drums containing chemicals, triggering an explosion, police said. This set off a chain of blasts as around 20-25 drums were kept in close proximity.

The fire spread rapidly, said officers, engulfing the entire unit of Kalkaji Lubricants and gutting a section of the factory. Several vehicles, including two-wheelers and cars parked within a 100-metre radius of the unit, were charred, officers had said.

Kalkaji Lubricants, a proprietorship firm located in Mujesar Industrial Area in Sector 24, is a small-scale manufacturer and supplier of automotive and industrial lubricants. It was established in 2012 and is owned by Abhishek Monga.

SI Yadav said Monga, along with the police officers who sustained 30% burns, are undergoing treatment in Faridabad. “The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by two of the injured policemen and an investigation is underway,” the spokesperson added.

Faridabad Fire Safety Officer (FSO) Ashwani Kaushik stated that two firefighters are also among those grievously injured with burn injuries, and are currently undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

When asked if the lubricants firm had the necessary fire clearances, he said the department’s assessment is still under way.

“However, what tends to happen in cases of industrial units is they apply for and secure clearances by stating that they store only some chemicals and paints, while not mentioning other inflammable chemicals like thinners that need specialised storage. The drums that exploded and added to fire are suspected to have such thinners; we are looking into that and whether necessary compliances were made,” said FSO Kaushik.

FSO Rakesh Yadav said the drums contained hydraulic lubricants. He also said the 150 square-yard plot is big enough for a shop and not a full-fledged company or factory.

“As per our checks so far, we did not find any fire NoC (no-objection certificate) for it online; we are checking our physical records and will be able to disclose more details only once we complete our probe,” said FSO Yadav.

District administration officials said 16 of the injured are currently admitted to Fortis hospital in Faridabad, four in Badshah Khan Civil Hospital, while the rest are at various private hospitals.

About the firm

As per its listing on online B2B marketplace IndiaMart, Shree Kalkaji specialises in producing and trading a range of oils and lubricants.

Its product line includes hydraulic oil (such as Sapphire Hydraulic 68 and Servo 68 variants), gear oil, engine oil, soluble cutting oil, transformer oil, rust preventive oil, and general lubricant oils, the listing mentions.

The company operates with “up to 10 employees” and sees an annual GST turnover between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 5 crore, as per the listing.