Two Firefighters Critically Injured in Faridabad Factory Blaze and Explosion
Two brave firefighters are now fighting for their lives in hospital after sustaining severe burn injuries while rescuing trapped workers from a devastating fire and series of explosions at industrial units in Faridabad's Mujesar area on Monday. The incident, which occurred around 4 PM, left a total of 35 people injured, including three policemen and the owners of two workshops.
Details of the Heroic Rescue and Subsequent Tragedy
Firefighters Ranveer (28) and Bhavi Chand (48) are currently undergoing intensive treatment in the ICU of AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, both suffering from over 50% burn injuries. Preliminary investigations reveal that the fire originated at Shiv Steel Company, where a steel-cutting machine caught fire while still operational.
As workers and first responders attempted to contain the flames and evacuate people, the fire rapidly spread to an adjacent unit—Kalkaji Lubricants—where highly inflammable chemical drums were stored without proper covering. This led to a catastrophic series of explosions that caused extensive damage and multiple injuries.
Timeline of the Emergency Response
A senior fire officer detailed the sequence of events, explaining that the department received the first distress call around 4:30 PM. A team from the NIT fire station arrived within minutes, joined by two policemen in an emergency response vehicle. Ranveer and Bhavi Chand, along with driver Gopal, led the initial rescue efforts.
"After we received the message from our Panchkula headquarters, it appeared to be a routine workshop fire. We did not know chemical drums were stored there. As the team laid hose pipes and prepared to douse the flames, a massive explosion occurred in the drums. The blast was so powerful that Ranveer was flung in the air and slammed against the fire tender parked outside the factory," the official recounted.
Bhavi Chand was trapped inside the burning structure but managed to crawl out despite severe injuries before collapsing. Driver Gopal, though injured by glass shards from the fire tender's damaged windscreen, heroically helped pull victims to safety and transport them to hospital.
Widespread Damage and Police Response
The fire was brought under control in approximately 40 minutes, with firefighters preventing an estimated 50 to 60 additional chemical drums stored outside from exploding. However, the damage was extensive:
- Three policemen engaged in rescue operations suffered burn injuries
- A powerful blast caused part of a factory wall to collapse
- Burning chemicals gutted nearby vehicles including a crane, scooters, motorcycles, and cars
Constable Ajnesh Kumar, who was in an emergency response vehicle attached to Sector 8 police station, described arriving at the scene to find a machine completely engulfed in flames. Fire brigade teams and sub-inspector Ravi from Mujesar police station arrived shortly after.
"During firefighting, a powerful blast occurred, causing the blaze to spread rapidly and pulling down a part of a factory wall," Ajnesh reported, noting that all three police officers suffered burn injuries in the incident.
Legal Action and Investigation
An FIR has been registered at Mujesar police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), and 124(1) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid). Police have filed the case against unknown persons for now, but indicated that the owners of both factories—who are brothers and were injured in the incident—are likely to be named in the FIR after investigation.
Concerns About Firefighter Welfare and Safety
Colleagues revealed that both injured firefighters are sole breadwinners for their families. Disturbingly, another fireman disclosed that Ranveer and Bhavi Chand are contractual staff without any insurance coverage and have not received their salaries for the past two to three months.
"When the government doesn't even think about their salaries, how will they think about safety," the fireman questioned, highlighting systemic issues affecting emergency responders' welfare and protection.
The incident has raised serious questions about industrial safety standards, proper storage of hazardous materials, and the support systems for frontline emergency personnel who risk their lives daily to protect others.
