Textile factory owner among 8 killed in fire in Solapur

As per information given by Solapur city police, the fire started in Central Textile Mill at Solapur MIDC on the Akkalkot road sometime before 3.45am on Sunday.

Officials said the factory produced various textile products, mainly of semi-synthetic and synthetic fabric. “The owner’s family lived on the first floor of the factory while some workers resided on the factory premises. Some factory workers realized about the fire sometime before 3.45am. They raised an alarm to alert the owner’s family and other workers but no one responded,” said an officer from Solapur city police.

“As the fire started spreading and its intensity increased, the four workers who could come out ran to safety. The large quantities of semi-synthetic and synthetic fabric and garments stored in the factory intensified the fire,” said the officer.

“The firefighters tried to bring the fire under control, along with other agencies, and a search operation was launched. Initially, four members of the factory worker’s family were found dead. Later, four members of the owner’s family were found dead in their living quarters,” the officer added.

Police have identified the deceased as Haji Usman Hasan Mansuri (80), the owner of the factory, his grandson Anas Hanif Mansuri (25), Anas’s wife Shifa (21) and Anas and Shifa’s son Yusuf (18 months).

The four others have been identified as factory worker Mehtab Sayyed Bagwan (45), his wife Ayueshabanu Bagwan (40), Mehtab and Ayueshabanu’s daughter Heena (26) and son Salman (24).

Officials said when the firefighters were trying to control the fire in one specific area of the factory, a gas cylinder exploded, which further intensified the blaze.

When asked about the possible cause of the fire, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Solapur city) Ajit Borhade said, “It is difficult to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. Even 18 hours after it started, the fire could not be controlled till late evening. The entire structure of the factory has been heavily damaged, making it extremely risky to enter. However, initial statements from the survivors point to some kind of spark in the electric system. A probe will be launched to establish the cause of the fire and sequence of events.”

Officials said they are probing how the families of the owner and the employees lived on the premises of the factory and whether there were any firefighting system available at the factory or not.