Katni: At least 12 members of two families, including a two-month-old infant, children and elderly persons, were killed in two separate fire incidents in Madhya Pradesh’s Katni and Seoni districts on Diwali night, turning the festival of lights into a night of mourning for their families and neighbours.
In the first incident, six members of an Agrawal family were killed after a massive fire broke out in a three-storey building housing a crockery shop on the ground floor in Barhi town of Katni district around midnight.
The fire spread rapidly from the shop to the upper floors, where the family members were sleeping. Thick smoke and flames trapped them inside, leaving little opportunity to escape.
The deceased were identified as Puran Agrawal (77), his wife Chandrakala (74), daughter-in-law Poonam (35), Arya (14), Anvi (6) and a two-month-old infant.
Two other family members managed to escape in the initial moments. Rescue operations continued throughout the night. Puran Agrawal was pulled out around 4.30 a.m., while the remaining five bodies were recovered around 6.30 a.m. after rescuers broke a wall with the help of a JCB machine.
“The cause of the fire is not known at this stage. It is suspected that it could have been triggered by a diya or a short circuit, but the exact reason will be established only after an investigation,” Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Virendra Narve said.
Local residents alleged lapses in the firefighting response, claiming that the fire tender from Barhi reached with a damaged pipe, while the vehicle from Vijayraghavgarh also reportedly had a faulty pipe.
Fire tenders from Kaimore and Katni Municipal Corporation later joined the operation and brought the blaze under control.
In the second incident, six members of a family were killed when a fire broke out at the residence of bullion trader Kundan Soni in Mahavir Ward of Chhapara town in Seoni district around 3 a.m.
The deceased were identified as Kundan Lal Soni (75), Rajkumari Soni (65), Ritu Soni (42), Smriti Soni (40), Surya Soni (45) and Aditya Soni (16).
Four other family members, including two minors, were rescued and admitted to hospital. Ten people were present in the house when the fire broke out.
SDOP Lakhnadon Apoorva Bhalavi said the family members were asleep when the blaze erupted, leaving them with little chance to escape.
The causes of both fires are yet to be ascertained, and police are investigating the incidents. The twin tragedies have raised concerns over fire safety arrangements and emergency response during festivals.
