Police to conduct DNA tests to identify Bhiwandi fire victims

The Narpoli police will carry out DNA tests to identify the eight workers who died in the Bhiwandi warehouse blaze on Saturday.

Early Saturday morning in Bhiwandi, a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra some 20 kilometres north-east of Mumbai, a massive fire broke out on the premises of a timber mart. The fire reportedly started in one timber godown and spread to three others. Dozens of fire-fighters managed to bring the inferno under control, but not before it had taken eight lives and injured three others. The bodies, charred beyond recognition, will be identified via DNA testing.

The charred bodies of the deceased who worked in two warehouses located close to each other in the Rahnal area have been kept at the IGM hospital morgue in Bhiwandi.

The two warehouses where the fire broke were used to stock timber and plastic. Primary probe in the incident revealed that the warehouses were operating without any legal permits. It is mandatory for warehouses stocking such inflamable goods to have fire safety equipments, which was not followed in this case.

The fire brigade received a call of the fire at around 2.57 AM and managed to put it out by 7 AM, after four-long-hours, using three fire engines and water from a nearby well. Cooling operations were underway till 11.30 AM. According to officials, the 100 by 50 square meter godown was used to build wooden crates and had workers living inside, judging by the charred clothes and utensils.

“Eight people were charred and we managed to rescue three who had sustained severe burns and have taken them to Indira Gandhi hospital. There are rumours of two more trapped inside, we haven’t been able to know for sure. If they are still trapped, which is highly unlikely, they would not have survived,” said a fire official at the site.

Tuesday 30 December 2014

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/others/Police-to-conduct-DNA-tests-to-identify-Bhiwandi-fire-victims/articleshow/45672488.cms

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/8-killed-in-bhiwandi-fire-accident-at-timbre-mart/