Fire in Godrej unit at Mohali; no casualty

A major fire engulfed the Godrej unit in Industrial Focal Point,Phase VIII-B,here on Thursday afternoon.

A major fire engulfed the Godrej unit in Industrial Focal Point,Phase VIII-B,here on Thursday afternoon. No loss of life was reported as all employees working in the unit managed to run to safety,but the packaging material and machinery were reportedly reduced to ashes. The amount of loss,and also the cause of the fire,is yet to be ascertained.

Sources,however,said a short-circuit triggered the fire that broke out in the packaging unit of Godrej,which manufactures refrigerators at the plant,around 2.30 pm. On seeing smoke emanating from a corner of the unit,hundreds of employees ran towards the gate to go outside.

On getting a call from the police,the first fire tender reached the plant at 2.40 pm,but was allegedly not allowed to go past the factory gate. As a result,it took four fire tenders almost two hours to douse the flames.

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It was learnt that the factorys internal fire fighting system failed,resulting in the major loss.

The alleged manhandling of a journalist,meanwhile,led to protest by a group of local mediapersons outside the Godrej unit. Irate after the camera was snatched from a regional news channels photojournalist and broken,the mediapersons lifted the protest only after the company tendered an apology after almost four hours.

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