At least six people were charred to death and more than five others were injured following a fire at a sparkling candle manufacturing unit near Talwade village in Pune’s Pimpri-Chinchwad area.
Authorities said most of the deceased were women. Expressing the possibility that an explosion inside the unit could have triggered the blaze, they said the death toll could rise further.
An officer at the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) fire department candles were manufactured illegally inside the compound.
“The fire may have been caused because the candles, generally used for birthday celebrations on cakes, were being manufactured illegally inside the compound,” said the officer.
The injured were moved to Sassoon hospital in Pune city.
Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh said that fire brigade authorities received the distress call a little after 2.45 p.m. today.
While the fire was doused within a couple of hours, investigation as to the cause of the blaze is underway, said PCMC officials.
