COIMBATORE: A catastrophic fire erupted at the Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) facility located at Uddanapalli near Nagamangalam in Krishnagiri district in the early hours of Saturday.
The conflagration originated in the mobile phone accessories painting unit of the company. Swift action was taken to ensure the safe evacuation of all employees from the premises, and a fleet of seven fire tenders was deployed to combat the raging inferno.
According to police sources, the TEPL firm has been engaged in the production of various accessories for iPhones, employing a workforce of approximately 4,500 individuals who operate on a shift basis. Notably, around 80 percent of the employees are women.
P Thangadurai, Superintendent of Police, Krishnagiri district, said that a skeletal staff was on duty at the mobile panels painting unit of TEPL when the incident occurred. The unit also housed a storage facility for chemicals. The blaze erupted in the unit at around 5.30 am, prompting the immediate evacuation of all personnel from the affected area.
"Three employees experienced respiratory distress due to suffocation and were promptly transported to a private hospital for medical attention. Their conditions are reported to be stable. As the vicinity is engulfed in dense black smoke, our police personnel have instructed the employees to vacate the company premises without delay. A contingent of seven fire tenders has been summoned from Hosur, Krishnagiri, and several other fire stations to combat the conflagration. We have deployed a force of over 100 police personnel in the affected areas," said SP Thangadurai.
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