AP: 2 workers perish in fire at chemical factory

MAHBUBNAGAR: Two gas welders were burnt alive and four others sustained grievous injuries when sparks from their torches ignited residual chemicals at a fatory in the Polepalli Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Jadcherla Friday.The injured men have been admitted to a private hospital in Mahbubnagar; their condition was said to be critical.The victims were all natives of Bihar and had joined the work team recently to renovate the factory. Not even their co-workers knew their names.Fire personnel struggled for more than four hours to bring the blaze under control.According to the Jadcherla police, about 20 labourers were working in the chemical factory when the incident occurred. The welders were removing some iron rods when some sparks fell into empty plastic chemical boxes that lay nearby. The chemical residue was ignited and the fire spread in an instant.Two of the welders perished before an alarm could be raised. Police suspect that the empty boxes of inflammable chemicals had not been cleaned before commencing the renovation work.The chemical manufacturing unit belonging to Nihar Chemicals had lain idle for two years and was recently bought by a cosmetics company which took up renovation. The owners of the company are missing, police said.