Bhind (MP), Feb 2 (PTI) One person died after a fire erupted at a biscuit factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district in the early hours of Sunday, an official said.
According to officials, a short circuit might have triggered the blaze at around 5.30 AM in the Krackjack biscuits unit of Vikram Arya Food Products in Malanpur industrial area, about 60 km from Bhind.
Gohad Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Parag Jain said around 80 workers were on the night shift at the unit when the incident occurred, and one of them died of asphyxiation.
The blaze was brought under control at 2 PM after more than eight hours, a senior official said.
Jain said 11 fire tenders, including one from the Indian Air Force (IAF), brought the fire under control. “Almost 90 per cent of the blaze has been doused,” he told PTI.
The SDM said the building housing the biscuit-making unit and machinery were damaged.
Hinting that the fire might have spread due to oil used in biscuits, Jain said the blaze caused massive destruction by engulfing a 100-metre area.
Collector Sanjeev Shrivastava said the extent of damage caused to machinery and other items could not be immediately known, though unconfirmed reports pegged the losses at more than Rs 30 crore.
He said the biscuit packets have been isolated to prevent any potential outbreak of the blaze. “The fire was brought under control at 2 pm”.
The collector said Vikram Arya Food Products manufactures the Krackjack brand of biscuits for Parle. PTI COR LAL ARU NSK
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