Massive fire guts perfume factory in Dehradun's Selakui industrial area

Dehradun: A massive fire broke out at a factory in an industrial area here on Sunday, gutting the premises, officials said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said the fire erupted at the perfume manufacturing unit of Shri Balaji Industries in Selakui.

There were no casualties in the incident, he said, noting that as it was a Sunday, not many workers were present at the factory.

Dehradun Chief Fire Officer Abhinav Tyagi said fire tenders were rushed to the spot after they received information around 2 pm, and it took nearly seven hours to bring the blaze under control.

The fire was so intense that fire engines were pressed into service from Dehradun, Rishikesh, Doiwala and Haridwar, Tyagi said, adding that a total of 15 fire engines were deployed to extinguish it.

He said around five lakh litres of water and 1,500–2,000 litres of chemical foam were used in the firefighting operation.

Tyagi said LPG gas is used in perfume production, and protecting two large LPG tanks located at the rear of the factory was the top priority.

"We not only secured them but also prevented the fire from spreading to neighbouring factories," he said.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, officials said.