Pune factory fire: Survivors recount ordeal, claim two minor fires broke out recently

Of the factory workers who escaped the blaze, some are in shock. Others have pointed to a pattern of negligence on the factory administration’s part. A few are coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.

The fire at SVS Aqua Technologies in Pune district’s Pirangut Industrial zone burned scorching hot and spread swiftly. Trapped inside the burning building, 18 people were charred to death. Chief fire-fighting officer Devendra Potphode said PMRDA fire-fighters went into rooms filled with toxic fumes to retrieve the burnt bodies of the victims one by one. Of the 18 workers who died, 15 were women. While the remaining factory workers could escape from the blaze, some are in shock and still processing what happened. Others have pointed to a pattern of negligence on the factory administration’s part. A few are coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.