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4-year-old girl dies in fire sparked by pooja room lamp in Lucknow
Avika’s father, Sumit Kumar, said the elder daughter woke up after noticing the flames and ran out of the room screaming for help, while the younger child was caught in the fire.
A four-year-old girl died after a fire broke out inside her house in Lucknow on Friday night when a lamp kept at a small shrine in a pooja room allegedly ignited nearby curtains, police said on Saturday. The incident occurred while the child’s parents had briefly stepped out to buy vegetables, leaving their two daughters asleep in the room.
According to police and family members, the fire broke out around 9 pm in the Indira Nagar area. Both daughters, six-year-old Pankhudi and her younger sister Avika, were sleeping in the room when flames suddenly engulfed the curtains and spread rapidly.
Avika’s father, Sumit Kumar, said the elder daughter woke up after noticing the flames and ran out of the room screaming for help, while the younger child was caught in the fire. Hearing Pankhudi’s cries, neighbours rushed to the house and attempted to douse the fire. However, the blaze intensified quickly, and thick smoke filled the room, making it difficult to locate the younger child.
“Due to heavy smoke, Avika was not immediately visible,” a police official said. “After sustained efforts, locals managed to pull her out.”
The child was rushed in a critical condition to a nearby private hospital, from where doctors referred her to Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences. She was declared dead on arrival, police said. The body has been sent for postmortem examination.
Sumit said he and his wife Shilpi had gone to a nearby market to buy vegetables after returning from work when they received a call informing them about the fire. “When we rushed back home, our daughter was in a serious condition,” he said, breaking down.
Police said the fire appears to be accidental and further investigation is underway.
