Loni fire tragedy: Five who died were trapped on second floor of burning house

They all got trapped on the 2nd floor as they could not move downstairs because of the raging fire, and door leading to the terrace was locked, said officers

The five who died in the fire at a house in Loni’s Behta Hajipur on Wednesday night were heard crying for help but rescuers were unable to reach them. Eye-witnesses said locals and family members reached the roof of the second floor in order to help them out but the raging fire and thick smoke prevented them from rescuing them.

The fire department officials said four fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire, which is believed to have started from an electrical short circuit. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The fire took place at the house of Haji Ishtiyak, 70, who was out attending prayers at a nearby mosque. His eldest son, Shariq, 28, had gone to the local dairy to fetch milk while his younger son, Shakiv, 20, was managing work at their nearby private parking. The house has ground plus two floors and seven members of Ishtiyak’s family lived there.

The police on Wednesday night identified the two injured as 26-year-old Uzma, and Arsh, a boy aged seven years. Uzma’s condition remains critical, while the injured boy was discharged after treatment, police said.

They identified the deceased as Ishtiyak’s daughter Nazra, 26, son-in-law Shaiful Rehman, 35, and their daughter Ikra, aged seven years. The other deceased were identified as Shariq’s son Mohammad Faiz, aged seven months, and wife Samreen, 28.

“The two injured were rescued from the first floor and the condition of the woman is still critical. The child was discharged and returned home on Thursday. The autopsy of the five deceased persons indicated cause of death as asphyxia and 95-100% burn injuries. It is suspected that they died before the rescuers could reach them,” said Bhaskar Verma, assistant commissioner of police, Ankur Vihar.

The fire department officials said four fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire, which is believed to have started from an electrical short circuit. But locals alleged that the five people perished because the fire tenders arrived late.

“Had the fire tenders reached on time, they could have been saved. When we were trying to save people on the second floor, they heard the victims shouting and pleading to save them. The water tank on the roof was also ripped apart to let water flow downstairs but it was insufficient to douse the flames,” said Qasim, a neighbour and relative of Haji Ishtiyak.

Chief fire officer (CFO), Rahul Pal, said the door of the staircase leading to the terrace was locked.

“We received the alert at 8.42pm and fire tenders reached the spot at 9.12pm. The delay happened because the lanes were narrow and girders were installed on the roads by residents to prevent the entry of heavy vehicles. The police are probing this,” Pal said.

Qasim said Shariq’s Creta and two two-wheelers parked adjacent to it were gutted in the raging fire. When they could not reach those trapped on the second floor, locals pulled back and brought in water pipes attached to their submersible pumps. However, by then, the fire spread to the first and the second floors of the house, he said.

The police and the fire department officials on late Wednesday night said that fire probably initiated due to short-circuit on the ground floor.

“Fire tenders got delayed due to girders installed on roads. Locals used buckets and also turned on submersible pumps to douse the fire. But the measures proved futile. The electricity was also turned off and people used generators to keep the submersible pumps going,” said Mohammad Yusuf, a relative of Ishtiyak.

The residents said the house is constructed on an area of about 200 square yards and located about 200 metres from the main road.

Deputy commissioner of police, rural, Vivek Chandra Yadav said the injured woman, Uzma, is critical as she suffered about 70% burn injuries.

“The fire tenders faced issues in reaching the spot due to the narrow lanes and girders installed on roads to prevent the entry of heavy vehicles. We have initiated an inquiry into this. The death toll remains at five till Thursday evening. They all got trapped on the second floor as they could not move downstairs because of the raging fire, and door leading to the terrace was locked,” Yadav said.