Seven citizens died in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city after a major fire broke out in a residential building in the Swarna Bagh Colony, ANI reported.
Authorities have rescued nine residents from the spot, Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra said.
Most of the deaths took place due to asphyxiation, Police Inspector Tehzeeb Qazi of the Vijay Nagar police station told PTI. He said that the fire has now been brought under control and the authorities have started an investigation into the cause of the accident.
A fire department official said that it took three hours to control the blaze. “The fire might have started due to a short circuit,” the official said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sampat Upadhyay said that after the fire erupted, the area around the building’s main door was blocked by flames and black smoke, according to PTI.
“...The door that led to the terrace from the third floor turned extremely hot, due to which most of the people got trapped inside the building,” he said. “Some persons rushed to the balcony of their flats to save themselves.”
Witnesses said that the building did not have any fire safety arrangements.
The police commissioner said that a first information will be filed against the owner of the building under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed condolences to the relatives of those who died in the fire and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured. He said that the deaths were “extremely heartbreaking”.
The chief minister added that he has issued orders for an investigation into the cause of the fire.
“Strict action will be taken against whoever is found to have been negligent,” he said. “The relatives of those who died will be given an amount of Rs 4 lakh each.”
Fire in Mumbai
Meanwhile, another fire broke out at the Life Insurance Corporation building in Mumbai’s Santacruz area on Saturday morning, ANI reported.
No deaths or injuries have been reported in the blaze. Eight firefighting vehicles are trying to put out the blaze.
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