Pune: 6 dead, 10 injured in fire at candle making unit; DCM promises action

At least six persons died and 10 sustained injuries after a fire broke out at a sparkling candle manufacturing unit in Pimpri Chinchwad area of Pune district on Friday, an official said. The fire brigade received a call about the blaze at the factory located at Talawade around 2.45 pm, said Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal commissioner Shekhar Singh.

The factory manufactured sparkling candles which are generally used for birthday celebrations, he said.

"The fire has been doused. The cause is yet to be ascertained," Singh added.


The owner of a nearby unit alerted the fire brigade to the incident, after which a team rushed to the site, doused the blaze and sent the injured to the hospital, an official from the Pimpri Chinchwad civic body's disaster management cell said.

The six bodies have been charred beyond recognition, while the injuries sustained by 10 persons, comprising nine women and a male who is the owner of the ill-fated unit, are serious, he said.

He identified the injured persons as Shilpa Rathod (31), Pratiksha Torne (16), Apeksha Torne (26), Kavita Rathod (45), Renuka Tathod (20), Komal Choure (25), Suman (40), Usha Padve (40), Priyanka Yadav (32) and unit owner Sharad Sutar.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister expressed grief at the incident and assured a high level inquiry would be constituted to fix responsibility.

Stringent action will be taken against those responsible for the blaze, while measures will be taken to ensure such incidents are not repeated, Pawar said.

District collector Rajesh Deshmukh visited Sassoon general hospital and met the injured persons, the official said.