8 dead in Indore fire: EV battery, fuel tanks, LPG cylinders, ACs and fridges exploded like bombs; neighbour saved 4 lives

INDORE: Eight members of a family, including children and guests who had travelled from Bihar for medical treatment, were killed and three others critically injured after a major fire broke out at a three-storey residential building at Brijeshwari Annexe near Bengali Square early on Wednesday.The tragedy unfolded at approximately 3:30 AM at the residence of Manoj Pugalia, a polymer businessman. According to police and eyewitnesses, a hatchback EV parked just outside the house was plugged into a charging point. A short-circuit in the charger reportedly ignited the electric board, which quickly spread to a nearby power pole. DCP Kumar Prateek said FSL teams were working at the spot till late evening, adding that they briefed him about finding broken pieces of three cylinders at the scene. Besides, eight cylinders were earlier taken out safely from the house. "Based on the latest inputs, we are also considering that three cylinders may have exploded in the fire," he said.The deceased were identified as Manoj Pugalia (65), his daughter-in-law Simran (30), brother-in-law Vijay Sethia (65), Vijay's wife Suman (60), Vijay's son Chhotu (22), Vijay's daughter Ruchika alias Tinu (35) and Manoj's grandchildren Tanmay (8) and Rashi (12).Commissioner of police Santosh Singh said the blaze may have been triggered by an explosion in an electric charging point for the hatchback car parked outside the premises. "Around 10 LPG cylinders were also stored in the house. People heard two to three blasts, which was possibly caused by exploding cylinders, making the situation even more critical," he said.Within minutes, the flames raced through the home's wiring and ignited the decorative POP (Plaster of Paris) ceilings. As the car's battery and the fuel tanks of nearby parked scooters exploded, the ground floor became a wall of fire, trapping the sleeping family upstairs. The fire also reached the second floor through an electric pole and bunch of fires hanging on it after catching the flames.The building had three occupied floors, and rescue operations were complicated by electronic locking systems. Authorities believe a power failure during the incident may have caused these locks to remain engaged, trapping residents inside. "It appears the occupants were unable to exit as the electronic locks did not open," Singh said.The scene was haunting. Neighbours described hearing frantic screams for help echoing from the burning structure. "The cries were piercing for about 15 minutes, and then, there was only the sound of the fire," shared Vikas Juneja, a local resident.The inferno was intensified by a series of terrifying explosions. An LPG cylinder, air conditioner compressors and refrigerators burst like bombs, shattering the neighborhood's peace. While the fire brigade arrived, their heavy vehicles struggled to navigate the narrow lanes. A critical 45-minute delay in securing water tankers allowed the fire to consume the entire building. Neighbours tried to help with domestic pumps, but the power cut rendered them helpless.Amidst the horror, a neighbour Mahendra Jain. Using a ladder placed on a table, he managed to break the iron grille on the second floor. He successfully pulled Manoj's wife, Sunita, and his sons Saurabh, Harshit and Somil to safety. They were rushed to MY hospital for treatment of their minor injuries.The tragedy was compounded by the fact that the house was full of visiting relatives. Manoj's brother-in-law, Vijay Sethia, had arrived from Kishanganj, Bihar, just days ago to seek cancer treatment in Indore. He, along with his wife, son, daughter, and grandchildren, all perished in the flames alongside Manoj and his daughter-in-law.In a chilling discovery, firemen recovered as many as 10 gas cylinders from the charred remains of the kitchen, including four commercial ones. While one cylinder did explode, firefighters managed to retrieve the others before they could detonate. Had they blown up, the entire block of Brijeshwari Annex might have been leveled.Cabinet ministers Kailash Vijayvargiya and Tulsi Silawat, along with collector Shivam Verma and police commissioner Santosh Singh, visited the site on Wednesday morning.