Gurgaon: A 28-year-old man was charred to death after a fire broke out inside a factory storage room for cleaning chemicals in Basai early on Wednesday.The deceased, Hetram Khewat, was a native of Madhya Pradesh, who worked at the unit and occasionally slept inside the room. Police suspect the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit. Burnt electrical wires were found at the site and the presence of chemical cleaning agents inside the room further fuelled the flames.According to police, the fire broke out during the intervening night of March 11 and 12. Workers and locals noticed the flames and rushed to the spot. They managed to douse the fire on their own before informing authorities. At the time, the workers believed no one was inside the room.The room was among eight to nine units rented by Suraj International for storing floor cleaners. “The company purchases cleaning liquid in bulk packages and repackages it into smaller containers for sale in the market,” an officer said.Workers told police that Hetram occasionally slept inside the room. According to them, he was a habitual drinker and moved around from place to place at night, which is why they did not immediately suspect he might have been inside when the fire broke out.Later in the evening, the workers returned to the room to clear the debris left behind by the fire. While removing the burnt material, they discovered a charred body.“It was only then that they suspected it might be Hetram,” the officer said.Police were informed and a team reached the spot. Subsequently, the victim’s family members were contacted for identification. The body was shifted to the mortuary for a post-mortem examination and later handed over to the family for last rites.Police said further inquiry into the incident is underway.
