Initial inquiry confirms flammable material behind Faisalabad factory fire

FAISALABAD: The presence of highly flammable material was found in a Malikpur factory where a fire killed as many as 20 people, ARY News reported.

As per the initial report of the Inquiry Committee established by the DG Industry, flammable material was stored in the factory.

Furthermore, the factory had not obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the government and was operating illegally.

The negligence, and untrained staff were behind the cause of the tragedy.

The chemical caught fire due to gas leakage and a short circuit. There was no boiler in the factory.

Different types of chemical were used in the factory. The factory primarily manufactured glue, which is made from flammable material.

No suitable arrangements were made for storing the flammable material, and the staff was also completely untrained for handling such hazardous material.

The Civil Defence and Labour departments were responsible for reviewing the matters of factories across the industrial city.

However, it is reported that no Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were implemented due to the collusion of the government departments and the factory owners.

Following the tragedy, the DG Labour department only suspended an inspector of the factory area, Shahzad Asghar.

The factory was also registered under the Shops and Establishments Ordinance instead of the Factories Act, 1934.

The factory owner, Qaiser, who was initially absconding, handed himself over to the police yesterday. The manager and two workers of the factory have also been taken into custody.

Additionally, 10 people sustained injuries in the deadly fire; three are in serious condition and hospitalized in the burns unit of the Allied Hospital Faisalabad.

Moreover, after the fire killed 20 people, all the factories in the area have been shut down or closed.