Four labourers were burnt alive and a woman sustained serious burn injuries in a massive fire that broke out at a junkyard in Neemrana in Rajasthan’s Kotputli-Behror district on Friday evening.
According to a police spokesperson, seven workers, including two children, were present at the junkyard when the tragic incident occurred. While the labourers were breaking bottles of used perfume, some liquid spilled onto the ground. The driver of a junk-loading van allegedly threw a burning matchstick onto the heap of scrap, triggering a fire that quickly engulfed the entire area.
Police recovered four badly charred bodies, including those of two children, from the site. A seriously injured woman was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Two labourers are reported missing, Kotputli-Behror Superintendent of Police Satveer Singh said.
All the deceased and injured are believed to be from Jharkhand. As the bodies were burnt beyond recognition, DNA testing will be conducted to establish their identities, police added.
The owner of the junkyard is absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him.