A massive fire at a scrap warehouse in Neemrana, Rajasthan, claimed four lives, including a seven-year-old girl, after a late-night blaze followed by an explosion engulfed the premises on Friday, officials said.
The incident occurred at a warehouse on Bichpuri Road in Mohladia village. The site stored large quantities of scrap material, including empty perfume bottles.
According to authorities, several labourers were working inside when the fire broke out, trapping them within the premises.
Superintendent of Police Satvir Singh confirmed that all four bodies have been recovered and a comprehensive search of the area has been completed. He added that a forensic team has begun its investigation. The team is still determining the exact cause of the fire.
Eyewitnesses said the flames rapidly spread to an adjoining plastic granule manufacturing unit within the same compound.
A loud explosion intensified the fire, causing panic in the nearby industrial zone and surrounding residential areas.
Initial reports suggest that workers attempted to flee but were unable to escape as a truck parked at the warehouse gate caught fire, blocking the only exit. Some tried to scale a boundary wall to reach the adjoining unit but failed due to its height, resulting in fatalities.
Fire tenders from Neemrana, Ghiloth and the Japanese Zone rushed to the spot. They brought the blaze under control after nearly two hours of firefighting.
Teams from the SDRF and forensic experts assisted in rescue and investigation efforts. Senior district and police officials supervised the operations.
Authorities fear more workers may have been inside at the time, raising concerns that the death toll could rise. Locals reported that two persons remained missing at the time of filing this report.
The identities of the deceased remain unconfirmed, and DNA sampling will follow. Preliminary findings point to inadequate firefighting arrangements at the warehouse, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.