Fourteen firefighters were injured after chemical drums exploded while they were battling a fire at an SR Handicraft factory in Jodhpur’s Basni on Wednesday evening. Four are in critical condition, with three on ventilators. Two suffered burns over around 90% of their bodies.
Air Force team called to control blaze
The fire broke out at around 5.30 pm. A stone reportedly fell from the roof onto a drum containing phenol, triggering a blast that sent burning chemicals up to 300 metres and injured the firefighters.
The injured were taken to AIIMS in fire brigade vehicles and later referred to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, where a separate ICU was set up.
The fire was brought under control at 5 am on Thursday but flared up again at around 7am. An Air Force fire brigade team had been called in around 11pm to help control the blaze.
Police are investigating the factory’s ownership and how the flammable chemicals and thinner were stored.
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Updates
01:02 PM24 September 2026
Residents complain about factory operating in residential area
Municipal corporation officials visited the site after local residents complained about the factory operating in a residential area.
12:39 PM24 September 2026
Four injured critical, separate ICU set up
Jodhpur Police Commissioner Anshuman Bhomia said flammable chemicals and thinner were being used at the handicraft factory. Officials are gathering details about its ownership and how the chemicals were stored.
Four of the 14 injured firefighters are in critical condition. Doctors have set up a separate ICU to treat them.
12:31 PM24 September 2026
Police say Chief Fire Officer filed case
Basni Station House Officer Nitin Dave said the Chief Fire Officer had filed a case following the incident.
Police are trying to summon factory owner Rajendra Agrawal for questioning.
12:30 PM24 September 2026
Municipal team investigating factory
The fire was brought under control after around 12 hours. It broke out again at around 7am, but the fire brigade team brought it under control.
Meanwhile, the municipal corporation team is investigating the factory and has sought its documents.
12:21 PM24 September 2026
MLA says area survey will be conducted
Sursagar MLA Devendra Joshi visited the site and said running a factory in a residential area was a challenge for the administration.
He said he would speak to the administration about conducting a survey of the area to prevent such incidents from happening again.
12:20 PM24 September 2026
Residents had complained earlier, but no action was taken
Shaitan Singh, a resident of Shramik Colony, said the fire was so intense that people had no time to escape. He added that residents had complained about the factory earlier, but no action was taken.
12:16 PM24 September 2026
Smoke still coming out of factory
Smoke is still coming out of the factory. Nearby houses were evacuated after the incident on Wednesday.
12:12 PM24 September 2026
Fire broke out again at 7am
The fire was brought under control at 5 am on Thursday but broke out again at around 7 am. A fire brigade team was sent to the site again to control the blaze.
12:09 PM24 September 2026
Factory had faced opposition earlier
Local residents said the factory was set up in 2015 and stored thinner, sealer and other chemicals used for polishing handicraft items.
The factory operates in a residential area and had faced opposition from local residents in the past. However, they claimed that the administration ignored their concerns. Similar chemicals are also reportedly stored in a building opposite the factory.
