Ludhiana, November 22: The toll in the plastic factory blaze mounted to 13 on Tuesday as six more bodies were pulled out of the rubble.
As rescue operations continued, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh visited the site and asked the Patiala divisional commissioner to conduct a detailed inquiry and also announced compensation for the family members of those killed.
The multi-storey building located near the Suffian Chowk had collapsed during the rescue operations on Tuesday. Officials said 18 persons were trapped when the building came crashing down. While 13 bodies — six firemen and seven civilians — have been recovered, two survivors were rescued on Tuesday. Three fireman are believed to be still trapped, said an official, adding that the chances of their survival appeared bleak.
The team of the NDRF stated that only 40% of the debris has been removed till now.
The chief minister took a stock of the situation along with local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and directed the district authorities to speed up the rescue and relief efforts.
Consoling the families of the victims, he said no stone would be left unturned in finding those feared to be still trapped under the debris. He announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased firemen and one job per family on compassionate grounds.
The families of the civilians who lost their lives in the incident will be provided Rs 2 lakh each as ex-gratia.
“If any official is found in dock for any lapse that led to the mishap, action will be taken against him. The inquiry will encompass all aspects of the incident and would ascertain violations by the owner of the factory in storing chemicals and going against the law. Any violation of the construction laws would also be identified,” said Amarinder Singh.
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