Two workers killed in fire at UP tyre oil factory

Two workers were charred to death after a fire broke out at a tyre oil factory in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur Dehat on Monday evening, officials said. The fire erupted around 5.30 pm while six workers were loading tyres into a tank at the Om JVRD factory near Jariha village in Gajner, about 44 km from the district headquarters.

The workers were on a nearly 30-ft-high tank when the fire erupted. Trapped by the flames, they fell to the ground. Four other workers and the driver of a tanker managed to escape, officials said. The flames spread quickly, sending thick plumes of black smoke visible from nearly 2 km away. Chief Fire Officer Prateek Srivastava said the fire was brought under control in about 40 minutes with six fire tenders.

Superintendent of Police Shraddha Narendra Pandey said the deceased workers were yet to be identified. Factory owner Ramesh Chandra Gupta told police that workers had previously been caught carrying bidis into the storage area and alleged that some workers had again carried bidis inside, which could have triggered the fire. Police are investigating the claim and the exact cause of the blaze.