Six family members killed in separate Madhya Pradesh house fires
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced Rs 4 lakh financial assistance for the families of the deceased in Katni and Seoni.
Six members of a family died in a fire at a residence in Chhapara, Seoni district, around 4 am on Monday, according to ANI. The fire broke out at the house of jewellery trader Kundan Lal Soni, who operated a shop on the ground floor of the three-storey building.
Seoni Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Lalchandani said 10 people were in the house when the blaze occurred. While four people were rescued by police and local residents, six people died from burn injuries and suffocation. The deceased included Kundan Lal Soni, his wife Rajkumari Soni, a daughter, two daughters-in-law, and a grandson.
A preliminary assessment suggests a short circuit may have triggered the fire, though a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has been called to examine the site, Lalchandani said. The SP added that inadequate ventilation and locks in the jewellery shop reportedly made escape difficult.
In a separate incident, six members of a family were killed in a fire at a shop in Barhi town, Katni district, on Diwali night, Rediff reported. The blaze erupted in a three-storey building where Puran Agarwal ran a crockery shop.
The victims in Katni included Puran Agarwal, his wife Chandrakala, daughter-in-law Poonam, granddaughters Arya and Anvi, and a two-month-old child. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over both tragedies and instructed that Rs 4 lakh in financial assistance be provided to the families of the deceased.