New Delhi. Amidst the celebrations of Diwali, incidents of fire in many states of the country turned happiness into mourning. A total of 23 people lost their lives in separate fires in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Odisha. The dead also include women, elderly people and innocent children. The most tragic incidents occurred in Dharashiv in Maharashtra and Katni and Seoni in Madhya Pradesh, where 18 people died in three separate accidents.
Cases of fire in shops and commercial establishments due to sparks from firecrackers were also reported. At many places, fire teams had to work hard for hours to control the fire.
Six people of the same family died in Dharashiv, Maharashtra
A fire broke out in a grocery shop at around 2.30 am on Diwali night in Yedshi village of Dharashiv district of Maharashtra. The Karande family lived in the house built above the shop. Within no time the fire engulfed the shop and the house. Six members of the family died in the accident.
The deceased have been identified as Uttam Trimbak Karande, Chandrakala Uttam Karande, Govind Uttam Karande, Jyoti Govind Karande, Gayatri Govind Karande and Siddhi Govind Karande. According to initial information, two people died due to burn injuries and four due to suffocation. Krishna, a family member, was rescued and admitted to the hospital. The cause of the fire is not yet clear, although initial suspicion has been raised that the fire may have started from a lamp.
Six including two month old innocent died in Katni
A fire broke out in a three-storey building in Barhi town of Katni district of Madhya Pradesh at around 12 o'clock on the night of Diwali. There was a crockery shop in the lower part of the building and the family lived above. As the fire spread rapidly, six members of the family got trapped inside and died.
The deceased include 77-year-old Puran Agarwal, his wife Chandrakala, daughter-in-law Poonam, granddaughters Arya (14), Anvi (6) and a two-month-old infant. Four people were evacuated safely. During the rescue, the trapped people were taken out by breaking the wall of the building. According to the administration, the fire spread rapidly due to the crockery items kept in the shop. The actual cause of the fire is being investigated.
Fire in bullion trader's house in Seoni, six lost their lives
A fire broke out in a three-storey house in Chhapara town of Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh between 4 am and 4.30 am on Monday. At that time ten family members were present in the house. Six people died amid the fire and smoke, while four were evacuated safely.
The deceased have been identified as Kundan Lal Soni, his wife Rajkumari Soni, Ritu Soni, Smriti Soni, Surya Soni and 16-year-old Aditya Soni. Fire brigade and rescue teams reached the spot and brought the fire under control. At present the reason for the fire has not been revealed.
Child dies due to firecracker in Narela, Delhi
In Narela area of Delhi, at around 9:45 pm on Diwali night, a child was burning pomegranate crackers in front of the house. During this time, he suffered serious chest injury due to the bursting of a firecracker. When taken to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead. Police have started further action by sending the body for post-mortem.
Firecracker shop turns into ball of fire in Pali, Rajasthan
A fire broke out in a firecracker shop in Falna town of Pali district of Rajasthan at around 10 pm on Sunday night. According to initial information, sparks from people burning firecrackers nearby reached the shop, after which the fire took a huge form. The nearby battery and cutlery shop also got affected.
Two people died in this accident, while one person was injured. Fire engines had to be called from many places to extinguish the fire. There was also information about missing of three people living in the house built above the shop, who were being searched.
Seven year old child dies in Cuttack, Odisha
A house caught fire in the Dargah Bazaar area of Cuttack, Odisha around 4 am on Monday. About eight people were present in the house at that time. Many people were trapped inside due to fire and smoke. A seven-year-old child died in the accident, while an elderly man was seriously injured. He was admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital. Fire brigade personnel had difficulty reaching the spot due to narrow streets. The fire was brought under control after about three hours of operation.
Elderly dies due to fire in Ujjain
A fire broke out in the Vishwakarma Hardware building located on Dewas Road in Nagjhiri police station area in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on Sunday night. During this time, the elderly Mohanlal, who was trapped inside, was taken out by the police and local people and taken to the hospital, but he died during treatment. Goods worth lakhs of rupees kept in the building were destroyed in the fire.
142 fire calls in Mumbai, 63 incidents in Pune
During Diwali in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, the fire department received 142 calls related to fire on Sunday. Of these, 137 cases were said to be related to firecrackers. More than 30 shops and huts were affected by the fire in Haji Kasam Chawl of Dongri. Apart from this, incidents of fire were also reported in Kurla, Ghatkopar, Kalina and other areas.
Pune recorded 63 fire incidents on Diwali alone. It is a matter of relief that no death or injury was reported in these incidents. Meanwhile, several vehicles were damaged in a fire at a two-wheeler showroom in Nagpur.
These accidents reported across the country have raised serious questions on fire safety and preparedness of the fire brigade during festivals. In many incidents, the cause of fire is still not clear and the concerned agencies are engaged in investigation.