Eight dead in major fire at Bhiwandi, Thane, three injured

Bhiwandi fire, Thane Fire, eight dead, three injured, massive fire, major fire, Mumbai news

A massive fire broke out at a timber workshop at Madvi Compound in Bhiwandi at 2.30 am on Saturday, leaving eight dead and three with severe burns. The cause of the fire is yet unknown, and the Narpoli police under whose jurisdiction the area falls, has filed an FIR against the owner of the property, and those who had leased it. All of them are absconding since the incident.

Firemen douse the fire that broke out at a timber workshop in Bhiwandi on early Saturday morning

Locals confirmed that the compound houses two wooden frame-making workshops and a plastic scrap godown. The fire broke out at 2.30 am and two fire engines and water tankers from Bhandup Fire station were rushed to the spot. The tankers had to make several rounds, since inflammable wooden logs were stocked in the entire compound, which spread the fire faster. The fire officials were finally able to douse the fire by 7.30 am.

Victims of the tragedy
The 11 workers, originally from Gorakhpur, were sleeping in the compound when the fire broke out. While three of them slept on higher ground on the wooden logs, the rest of them were on the ground, surrounded by the wooden frames. Vinod Yadav, 21, one of the survivors of the tragedy told sunday mid-day, "We woke up when we smelled smoke. We jumped from the logs to save our lives when we saw the fire. Three of us managed to escape but our friends who were sleeping on the ground weren't as lucky."

All of them were rushed to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Bhiwandi. While the dead were kept in the mortuary, the injured were moved to Thane Civil Hospital for further treatment.

"The patients have received burn injuries in the range of 20 to 30 per cent. Their condition is stable now," said a doctor from the burns ward of the hospital. The injured ones are Vinod Yadav, Vijay Chauhan and Girre Chauhan while the dead are identified as, Kaniya Ramdas, Raju Chauhan, Gauri Chauhan, Munnilal Yadav, Murari Maurya, Niraj Kurmi, Ramdayal (Ajay) Rajbhar and Tilakram Rajbhar.

Investigations on
The police are investigating the cause of the fire. "It can be anything from a bonfire to a short circuit. We are also trying to nab the owners of the property who have been absconding from the time of the incident.

A case has been registered under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code on the owners of the property and those who had taken it on lease. Their names have been identified as Munawar Ali Khan, Jangbahaddur Ali Khan, Ishtiaq Ansari, Shaukat Ali Ansari and Rajan Mandavi. We will conduct a probe and take appropriate action once they are in our custody," said Sudhir Dabhade, DCP, Zone 2.