BHOPAL: Eight members of a family were charred to death in a massive blaze in Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital, Indore’s Tilak Nagar area, early Wednesday morning, with authorities confirming the toll based on hospital records.
The deceased include businessman Manoj Pugalia (65), his daughter-in-law Simran Pugalia (30), and six relatives: Vijay Sethia (65), Pugalia’s brother-in-law, his wife Suman Sethia (60), their daughter Tinu Sethia (35), Tinu’s two children Rashi (35) and Tanay (8), and Vijay’s nephew Chotu Sethia (20). The blaze erupted between 3.30 am and 4 am in the house near Greater Brijeshwari Colony (Chhota Rajwada).
While Vijay Sethia, his wife, daughter, nephew, and two grandchildren died on the ground floor after being severely burnt, Manoj Pugalia and his elder daughter-in-law Simran were found dead on the first-floor staircase leading to the terrace. This suggests they attempted to escape but were trapped, possibly due to locked shutters on the top floor.
Four other members of the Pugalia family, including Manoj’s wife Sunita (62) and their three sons, Saurabh (Simran’s husband), Saumil, and Harshit managed to escape from the first floor. Neighbours displayed exemplary courage by climbing to the first floor and cutting the fencing to create an escape route.
Firefighters and police brought the blaze under control within two to three hours. However, Mahendra Jain, a next-door neighbour, reported that light smoke continued to rise from the gutted house until evening.
Manoj Pugalia owned a polymer and plastic pipe manufacturing unit in the Pithampur Industrial Area of Dhar district, along with a trading firm in Siyaganj wholesale market, Indore. The Sethia family, originally from Kishanganj, Bihar, had arrived in Indore the previous day for Vijay Sethia’s jaw cancer surgery.
The youngest victim, eight-year-old Tanay, was found completely disfigured on the ground floor, likely due to explosions from a refrigerator and LPG cylinders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for each injured from the PMNRF.
Preliminary Investigation
According to Indore Police Commissioner Santosh Singh, initial investigations suggest that the fire was triggered by an electric short circuit while charging an electric vehicle outside the house between 3.30 am and 4 am. The fire rapidly engulfed the house, fuelled by multiple LPG cylinders and plastic stock, some of which exploded.
Preliminary reports indicate that the house had an electronic locking system, which jammed after the power supply tripped due to the short circuit. Firefighters had to break the locks to enter, causing delays. The passage of fire tenders and ambulances was also hindered by vehicles parked outside the house. Some rescue personnel sustained minor injuries and suffered from smoke inhalation.
Notably, in October 2025, a Congress leader and businessman died in a fire in Indore’s Lasudia area under similar circumstances, following a jammed electronic lock during a power trip caused by a short circuit.
However, the Pugalia family’s domestic help, Soni Mhatre, claimed that the house’s locks were manual and key-operated. Neighbours reported that after the initial short circuit, the electric vehicle caught fire first, followed by explosions in a superbike, motorcycle, and scooter parked inside the house. Multiple air conditioners also contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze.
Fortunately, other vehicles in the colony did not catch fire, preventing a wider catastrophe.
