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Ludhiana: Hosiery godown fire leaves 2 of family dead; six rescued
Fire officials said they received the emergency call at 8.40 am following which three fire engines were rushed to the spot and it took nearly three hours to fully control the blaze
Two members of a family and their pet (dog) lost their lives after a massive fire broke out in a residential building in the petrol pump street near Bharat Nagar Chowk on Wednesday morning. The fire, said to have been triggered by a short circuit, began from the ground floor of the house which had been converted into a hosiery godown by Chopra Industries. The dense smoke from the burning fabric rapidly spread through the building, engulfing the house and trapping the victims inside.
The deceased have been identified as Rani Chopra (75), suffering from paralysis, and her grandson Garv Chopra (18). They were unable to escape in time. Six other members of the extended Chopra family were evacuated by fire officials. The family lived on the first floor.
Fire officials said they received the emergency call at 8.40 am following which three fire engines were rushed to the spot and it took nearly three hours to fully control the blaze. According to fire officials, the fire started in the stock of hosiery material stored on the ground floor. Since the material was highly flammable, it produced thick smoke that triggered two deaths by suffocation. Officials said they were looking into the reason behind the fire but suspect a short circuit.
Rajan and Ritu Chopra, parents of Garv Chopra, are devastated by the death of their only son. Their daughter is abroad. Rajat Chopra and Mamta Chopra, along with their sons Saksham and Tamish, were also there in the house but were rescued.
Jaswinder Singh, additional district fire officer, said, “Teams reached there swiftly and doused the fire in three hours. Our team member Vijay, a firefighter, fell unconscious during the incident due to thick smog”.
Fireman Vijay, who fell unconscious for some time due to smoke, said, “By the time we reached, the fire had already caused severe damages but our team prevented the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings.”
“Initially, the visibility was almost zero due to the smoke. It was a very challenging operation,” said another official.
Dinesh, a neighbour, said, “Nearby houses were also vacated. All the street residents gathered and tried to help. Firefighters and local residents reached the top of the house using adjoining buildings and rescued the rest of the family.”
Bikram Singh Ghuman, station house officer of the division number 5 police station, said, “Two persons died and the other members of the family are safe. We are moving ahead with the proceedings accordingly.”
BJP’s senior leader Jiwan Gupta, who resides in the locality, said, “Area residents, after noticing the fire, informed the house owners ran for their safety and some of them came out using the main gate. Others managed to escape from the roofs of the adjoining house.”
