BHOPAL: At least 12 members of two business families were burnt alive in separate fires that engulfed two three-storeyed residential-cum-commercial buildings in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni and Katni districts on Diwali night.
The deceased include five women, four children and three men.
In another incident on Diwali night, a man reportedly aged over 100 years was choked to death inside his room, following a blaze at two shops located on the ground floor of a two-storeyed building in Ujjain district.
The first fire broke out around midnight at a three-storeyed building in Barhi town of Katni district, killing six members of the Agrawal family. The blaze was possibly triggered by earthen diyas the family left lit inside the crockery and plastic shop on the ground floor.
Another blaze engulfed a building in Chhapara town of Seoni district in the early hours, claiming six more lives. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the 12 people killed in the two fires.
“The news of the deaths of several members of two families in the tragic fires during the Diwali festival in Barhi (Katni) and Chhapara in Seoni district is deeply heartbreaking. Humble tributes to the departed. The state government has directed that Rs 4 lakh assistance be provided to the families for each of the deceased,” the CM posted on X on Monday morning.
The first fire broke out on the ground floor of a three-storeyed building owned by Pooran Agrawal, a trader dealing in crockery and plastic products. With the shop stocked with goods to meet the Diwali demand, the fire, which started around 12.15 am, spread rapidly and engulfed the entire premises. The building had only one entry and exit point.
While two family members, Ritesh Agrawal and his sister-in-law, managed to escape in the nick of time, six others were trapped on the third floor and burnt to death.
The deceased included 77-year-old Pooran Agrawal, wife Chandrakala (75), daughter-in-law Poonam and grandchildren Arya (14), Anvi (6) and a two-month-old child, who remained cuddled in mother Poonam’s lap even in death.
“The single entry and exit in the triple-storied building made the rescue work extremely difficult, despite multiple fire brigade vehicles and SDERF personnel being pressed into action a short while after the fire was reported to the police. Unable to get into the building from the single entry and exit, the SDERF team had to drill a passage into the building through the adjoining building. But by then all six members including three kids had died. The fire could be doused with great difficulty after around four and a half hours,” Katni district police superintendent Abhinay Vishwakarma told TNIE on Monday.
Meanwhile, reports from Katni district indicated that despite four fire tenders being pressed into service, technical glitches in some of the vehicles delayed efforts to bring the blaze under control.
A video of Katni District Collector Ashish Tiwari acknowledging the glitches has gone viral on social media.
"Despite 4 fire brigade vehicles being on the spot, the six lives couldn't be saved, I apologize for it. Despite the fire tenders and rescue teams being on the ground, due to some reasons, the lives couldn't be saved. Action will be initiated in the matter today only to ensure that such a situation is never repeated. The fire brigade personnel will be trained soon at the Fire Institute in the neighbouring Nagpur. Further, facilities at the local government hospital too will be improved at the earliest," Tiwari was seen assuring angry residents, who complained that not even a single doctor was available at the hospital.
Around 270 km away, in Chhapara town of Seoni district, a similar fire broke out in the wee hours, engulfing the entire three-storeyed house owned by the Soni family, who run a goldsmith and jewellery business.
The fire claimed the lives of the family head, Kundan Soni (75), wife Rajkumari Soni (65), two daughters-in-law -- Ritu Soni (42) and Smriti Soni (40), son Surya Soni (45) and grandson Aditya Soni (16).
The rescue teams, with the help of local residents, however, managed to save the lives of two sons of the family’s head and two grandchildren, Amyara Soni (7) and Akarsh Soni (14).
In another tragic incident, a man reportedly aged around 107 years was choked to death in the fire in two shops located on the ground floor of a two-storeyed building in Ujjain district.
The fire was triggered in the two shops located in the building in Ujjain’s Nagjhiri area. Ten members of the Vishwakarma family who resided in the building, were trapped inside. Authorities managed to rescue nine people alive, but the 107-year-old couldn’t be saved.