Six from Kishanganj, including cancer patient, die in Indore fire

Indore/Patna: Four members of a Bihar businessman's family staying with relatives in MP's Indore for his cancer treatment were among eight people killed early Wednesday after a short-circuit in an electric-vehicle charger turned a three-storey house into an inferno while electronic locks disabled by power failure ensured none could escape.

Three others were critically injured in the blaze that broke out around 3.30am at polymer businessman Manoj Pugalia's Brijeshwari Annexe home near Bengali Square. The 65-year-old host's brother-in-law Vijay Sethia, the same age as him, had arrived from Kishanganj in Bihar days earlier for his treatment.

Pugalia, his daughter-in-law Simran (30), Sethia, the latter's wife Suman (60), his nephew Chhotu (22), the couple's daughter Ruchika (35) and the host's grandchildren Tanmay (8) and Rashi (12) died in the fire tragedy.

Police commissioner Santosh Singh said a hatchback EV parked outside the house had been left plugged into a charging point overnight. A charger malfunction ignited the electrical board, causing the house wiring to burn and set alight the decorative plaster-of-Paris ceilings.

The EV's battery exploded, followed by fuel tanks of scooters parked nearby. The ground floor became inaccessible as flames climbed to the second floor through cabling on an electricity pole.

Singh said at least three of 10 LPG cylinders stored in the house exploded, too. "People heard around three blasts possibly caused by exploding cylinders, making the situation even more critical," the city police chief said.

The building's electronic locking system compounded the disaster. Neighbours described hearing screams for about 15 minutes before an eerie silence descended on the house. "After that, there was only the crackling sound of the fire," said Vikas Juneja, a neighbour.

Another neighbour, Mahendra Jain, placed a ladder on a table and broke through the iron grille on the second floor to pull out Pugalia's wife Sunita and sons Saurabh, Harshit and Somil to safety. They were taken to MY Hospital with minor injuries.

Fire engines couldn't enter the narrow lanes. A 45-minute delay in securing water tankers made it worse. Domestic water pumps might have helped but there was no power. AC compressors and refrigerators exploded through the blaze, shattering windows across the block.

Firemen found four commercial LPG cylinders in the kitchen. One of these had exploded but the rest were retrieved before they could detonate. Officials said that had these gone off, the entire Brijeshwari Annexe block could have been levelled.

Cabinet ministers Kailash Vijayvargiya and Tulsi Silawat, collector Shivam Verma and police commissioner Singh visited the site in the morning.

Kishanganj-based Manish Daftari, a close friend of cosmetics trader Sethia, said the family had travelled to Indore after being encouraged by their relatives there to try out the available cancer treatment options. "Who could have imagined the entire family would perish in such a horrible manner?"