Rajkot: AA 31-year-old man died of suffocation after getting trapped inside a furniture manufacturing unit that caught fire in Rajkot’s Ram Park area near Hudko Chowkdi on Friday morning.The deceased, Chetan Sheladiya, was inside Uttam Sofa factory when the blaze broke out around 10.15am. Deputy chief fire officer Ashoksinh Zala said preliminary findings indicate the fire spread rapidly as the unit stored highly combustible materials, including foam used in sofa manufacturing. Dense smoke engulfed the premises, trapping Sheladiya in the rear gallery near a bathroom.After being alerted by local residents, firefighters wearing oxygen masks launched a rescue operation. Sheladiya was found unconscious, pulled out of the building and rushed to the civil hospital, where doctors declared him dead.Authorities have begun an investigation to ascertain whether the factory had complied with mandatory fire safety norms, including the installation of firefighting equipment.Police inspector Haresh Patel of Aji Dam police station said a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team would inspect the site to determine the exact cause of the fire, while detailed reports have also been sought from PGVCL and the fire department.Sheladiya, a resident of Shraddha Park near Bapa Sitaram Chowk in Rajkot, is survived by his wife and their three-year-old son. He had been running Uttam Sofa for the past two-and-a-half years in partnership with his father-in-law, Naran Kakadiya, and brother-in-law, Devendra Kakadiya.Meanwhile, Devendra alleged that repeated complaints had been made to PGVCL over frequent power disruptions in the area during the past month, but no action was taken. He also claimed the fire brigade reached the spot late despite being informed immediately and that rescue efforts were delayed as oxygen masks were not available at the initial stage. According to him, these delays proved fatal for Sheladiya.PGVCL and the fire department were not immediately available for comment on the allegations.
