TNR Desk
The search operation at the site of the devastating fire in the perfume factory located in Baddi-Barotiwala’s Jharmajri in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district has yielded two bodies that were burnt beyond recognition and were recovered from the debris on the factory’s second floor. The incident marks the tenth day since the inferno engulfed the factory premises, leaving a trail of destruction and loss of lives.
The bodies, reduced to skeletons due to the fire, have yet to be identified. Consequently, the authorities have dispatched them to the hospital in Nalagarh, where samples will undergo DNA testing to establish their identities. The recovery of the bodies underscores the harrowing toll exacted by the catastrophic fire incident.
The search and recovery efforts were briefly halted for five days as forensic experts investigated the scene and addressed the removal of hazardous chemical waste from the NR Aroma Factory. However, with the conclusion of the waste removal process, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) resumed search operations on the second floor of the factory premises on Sunday (February 11, 2024).
Before restarting the search, authorities took precautions by demolishing unsafe sections of the building to ensure the safety of the search teams. The SDRF search led to the recovery of the two bodies amidst the rubble. The local police officials in Baddi confirmed the recovery of the bodies.
Of the 10 workers reported missing since the fire erupted, the bodies of seven have been recovered, leaving three still unaccounted for.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the removal of hazardous materials from the factory site has been ongoing. A team from Shivalik Solid Waste Management Plant extracted 80 drums of chemicals from the premises, adding to the total of over 120 drums removed thus far.
Preliminary investigations suggested egregious lapses in safety measures within the factory premises. Authorities revealed that the absence of emergency exits and inadequate fire safety protocols contributed to the severity of the incident. Moreover, the storage of flammable chemicals without proper safeguards exacerbated the situation, leading to the uncontrollable blaze.
