A Sitapura SEZ fire at a gold melting and processing unit in Jaipur killed two workers and injured four others after thick smoke spread through the premises on Thursday afternoon. Police said the incident occurred at Ideal Physical Services Ltd in Sitapura Industrial Area’s Special Economic Zone-II at around 1 pm, with a suspected electrical fault in an electricity-powered furnace among the circumstances being examined.
The deceased were identified as Rajneesh, 19, from Chandauli district in Uttar Pradesh, and Saraswati, 45, from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. A police officer said neither appeared to have suffered major fire injuries and that suffocation was the apparent cause of death. The officer added that the exact cause would be established through post-mortem examinations.
The injured workers were identified as Ajay Pal, 26, from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh; Lal Mohan, 20, from West Midnapore in West Bengal; and Sandeep Singh, 19, and Babul, 32, both from Rewa. Police said six workers became unconscious after inhaling smoke. All six were taken to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, where two died and the other four were admitted for treatment. One injured worker was reported to be in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
Deputy commissioner of police (south) Rajarshi Raj Verma said the fire was contained with the assistance of two fire tenders. He said smoke had left some workers gasping and suffocating, and that police would investigate the reason for the fire and the deaths. Preliminary information indicated that sparking in the electrical furnace may have triggered the incident, but the cause had not been conclusively established.
The emergency response was complicated after smoke spread through the unit and workers were reportedly unable to exit. Police said the factory had sensor-based locking mechanisms that engaged automatically after the incident, leaving workers trapped inside the smoke-filled building. Police and firefighters used a JCB machine to break through a wall and reach those inside.
The investigation is expected to examine the suspected electrical fault, the operation of the sensor-based locking system and the unit’s emergency evacuation arrangements. These factors will determine how quickly workers could leave the premises after the fire began and whether the facility’s safety systems functioned as intended. Further details on the cause of the fire and any possible safety lapses are awaited from the investigation and post-mortem process.
