Two women workers burnt alive in factory

Two women workers were burnt alive at a factory when the cotton gin (the machine used to separate the cotton fibre from the seeds) caught fire Wednesday evening.

It is said the incident, at the Basaveshwara Cotton Industries opposite the KSRTC depot in the town, occurred due to an electrical short circuit. The deceased are Lalitha Kalakappa Yalagi, 40, and Shantavva Nagappa Javali, 45, of Lakshmeshwara. Gangadhar Balikai is the owner of the factory.

Four female and three male workers suffered serious injuries in the incident and have been admitted to the government hospital for treatment. Police are investigating the case.