Two fire service personnel lost their lives and three others sustained injuries after a factory wall and an iron beam collapsed during a firefighting operation at an electronics manufacturing unit in Greater Noida late Monday night, officials said.
The incident occurred at ILGIM Company in the Ecotech-3 police station area, where a major fire broke out at a facility engaged in the manufacture of electronic chips. Police and fire department teams rushed to the site after receiving information about the blaze and launched an extensive operation to contain the fire.
After several hours of firefighting, the flames were brought under control. However, during the operation, a side wall of the factory and an iron beam suddenly gave way, trapping several members of the fire service team beneath the debris.
Five fire personnel were seriously injured and shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Fireman Rohit Yadav and Chief Constable Driver Teerathpal Singh later succumbed to their injuries.
The three other injured personnel — Chief Constable Driver Rajpal Singh, Fireman Manish Kumar and Fireman Amit Kumar — are reported to be out of danger and are undergoing treatment.
Senior police officials and teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) remain deployed at the site to assist in rescue efforts and assess the structural stability of the factory premises.
Officials said the cause of the fire has not yet been established. A detailed investigation has been launched to determine how the blaze started and the circumstances that led to the collapse during the firefighting operation. Legal proceedings have also been initiated.
The incident has once again highlighted the occupational risks faced by emergency responders while tackling industrial fires, particularly at facilities handling electronic manufacturing and potentially hazardous materials.
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