Tragic Fire at Illegal Candle Manufacturing Unit Claims Six Lives in Pune
Six women were tragically killed and ten others sustained severe burns in a devastating fire that erupted after an explosion at an illegal sparkling candle manufacturing unit in Pune’s Talawade industrial area on Friday afternoon.
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The victims have been identified as Sangita Andar (28) from Chikhali, Lata Dangekar (40) from Rupeenagar, Kamaladevi Prajapati (65) from Dehugaon, and Radha Godhade (18), Sangita Kharbade (45), and Poonam Mishra (36) from Talawade.
The injured victims were rushed to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) in Pimpri, but due to the severity of their burns, they were later transferred to the burns ward at Sassoon Hospital in Pune. According to the dean of YCMH, Rajendra Wable, six of the injured victims are in critical condition with burn injuries exceeding 70%.
Dr. Harish Tatiya, an assistant professor in forensic medicine and toxicology, revealed that several patients suffered burns exceeding 80-90%, with one woman currently on a ventilator.
In response to the tragedy, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced an ex gratia of Rs5 lakh for the families of the deceased, and he assured that the injured victims would receive treatment at the state government’s expense. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also pledged a high-level inquiry to hold the responsible parties accountable.
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According to the Fire Brigade, the explosion may have been triggered by the presence of inflammable raw materials at the illegal manufacturing unit. The unit, located in the Red Zone approximately 1.5km away from the Dehu Road ammunition factory, was set up within the compound of an engineering firm in the Talawade industrial area. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion followed by a massive fire.
Firefighters faced challenges reaching the site due to the narrow road leading to the unit. However, they managed to extinguish the flames within an hour. The structure itself suffered significant damage from the explosion.
Local authorities, including the Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioner and the PCMC commissioner, have launched investigations into the incident. Meanwhile, grieving family members are left to cope with the loss of their loved ones, while the community mourns the tragedy and hopes for stricter enforcement against illegal manufacturing operations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
