Himachal: Three injured in factory blast, workers allege lack of safety equipment

Shimla: Three people have been injured in a blast at a factory in Jharmajri village in Himachal Pradesh's Baddi-Barotiwala industrial area, officials said on Friday.

The incident, which took place at Wipro Enterprises factory on Thursday, came to light the following day when workers halted work in protest, shouting slogans at the gate over the lack of safety equipment and the management's indifferent attitude towards their welfare, the officials said.

Sunil Thakur, Rajiv and a trainee sustained burn injuries in the incident, they said, adding that Sunil has been referred to PGI Chandigarh for treatment.

According to Rajiv, the blast occurred due to a reaction while they were preparing a mixture for shaving cream, the officials said.

After news of the protest and blast spread on social media, Harbans Rana, General Secretary of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) Federation, visited the site and spoke to the injured workers, they added.

Police were unaware of the incident until Rana filed a complaint with the Baddi police.

The workers have accused the management of negligence, alleging that basic safety equipment, such as gloves, was not provided, and called for safety measures to be enforced.

The Wipro Enterprises, however, have refuted these allegations.

"Our primary focus always has been the safety and well-being of all personnel engaged with us. We have strong safety processes and this incident is unfortunate," a statement issued by the company said.

"At the time of the incident, we rushed the operator to ESI Hospital Katha and then PGI Chandigarh. We are actively overseeing all medical care and ensuring that necessary treatments are provided," it said.

The company assured that it will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. "Based on the incident report, we will decide on the next steps," the statement added.