Jodhpur: Six of the 14 fire department personnel injured in a fire at a handicraft factory in Basni Wednesday evening were shifted to Jaipur’s SMS Hospital Thursday after their family members put forward their wish to shift them here for better treatment.The six injured firefighters were taken from Mahatma Gandhi Hospital to Jaipur in separate ambulances through a green corridor created by the traffic police. Traffic was stopped at several points along the route to ensure their quick passage. Each ambulance carrying an injured firefighter was accompanied by a doctor and a nursing staff member.The fire had broken out at the factory Wednesday evening and spread rapidly after the chemical-filled drums caught fire, triggering a series of explosions. The firefighters were injured while dousing the blaze. A sudden explosion in chemical-filled drums caught the firefighters off guard, causing severe burns.They were first rushed to AIIMS-Jodhpur but later shifted to MG Hospital in the absence of a dedicated burn ward at AIIMS. One of the 14 firefighters escaped with minor injuries while 13 were admitted to the hospital.Hospital superintendent Dr Fateh Singh Bhati said the six patients were shifted to Jaipur at the request of their family members.“Seven injured firefighters remain here in the hospital. Three of them are critical and on ventilator support,” Dr Bhati said.Police have filed a case against the factory owner. SHO (Basni) Nitin Dave said police have begun an investigation into the matter with regard to factory ownership, registration and other relevant documents. He said the cause of the fire was, prima facie, found to be a short circuit, and it spread fast after coming into contact with chemicals in the factory godown.The factory was closed at the time of the incident.
