CHARRED BODY OF EMPLOYEE RECOVERED AFTER MASSIVE FIRE GUTS CANTONMENT RESTAURANT

Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur

A devastating fire that engulfed a restaurant in the Cantonment area on Thursday morning left one employee dead, with firefighters recovering his charred body from the premises after battling the blaze for several hours. The intensity of the fire was such that fire tenders had to refill water 22 times before the flames were finally brought under control.

According to information, dense smoke was noticed emanating from inside the restaurant when it was opened in the morning. The staff immediately raised an alarm, following which four fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

Firefighters launched a major operation and managed to contain the blaze before it could spread to nearby establishments. During the firefighting operation, a badly charred body was found inside the restaurant. The deceased was later identified as Tulsi, an employee of the restaurant.

He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Dr Karaj of the Civil Hospital said the body brought to the hospital was severely burnt. “The body has been kept in the mortuary and the police have been informed. The postmortem examination will be conducted after receiving instructions from the police,” he said.

Eyewitnesses said the fire was confined mainly to the interior portion of the restaurant, causing extensive damage to furniture, electrical fittings and other articles. The incident triggered panic among employees and residents in the surrounding area.

Abhishek Pandey, Superintendent, Sanitary and Fire Department, Cantonment Board, said the fire had been completely extinguished. However, the exact cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained.

Police and other concerned authorities have initiated proceedings and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire and the death of the employee.