3 charred to death in fire in industrial godown near Barnala

Three people trapped by a big fire inside a godown, where mattress and sofa foam were kept, were charred to death on Tuesday near Barnala city of Punjab, a senior police official said.

The three were employees of the industrial unit in Ugoke village, Senior Superintendent of Police Harjit Singh said.

Singh said fire-fighters struggled for nearly six hours to bring the blaze under control. Fire tenders from adjoining districts were also pressed into service.

A government spokesperson later said the fire had been extinguished.

The cause of the fire is being investigated, the SSP said.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has sought a detailed report from Barnala Deputy Commissioner Dharam Pal Gupta about the incident, the spokesperson said.

The chief minister has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the family of Jagjeet Singh (24), Sikander Singh (25) and Sadhu Singh (27), who died in the fire incident.

Gupta and other senior officials visited the site and met the families of the victims.