Two women die in home fire in Ghaziabad’s Loni, nine rescued

In all, 11 members of the family slept on the first and second floors of the house and the ground portion was used by the family to stock tents and decorations that were used in their banquet business

A mother and daughter, aged 74 and 42 years, died in a fire at a house in Loni’s Lal Bagh Colony in Ghaziabad early Monday morning. The police suspect that the fire was caused by an electrical short-circuit on the ground floor where banquet tents and decorations were stocked.

Three fire tenders and personnel from the Loni and Sahibabad fire stations were pressed into service and it took them over an hour to douse the flames. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The police said the fire was reported around 5.30am Monday from the house where a joint family lived. In all, 11 members of the family slept on the first and second floors of the house and the ground portion was used by the family to stock tents and decorations that were used in their banquet business.

“The fire started from the ground floor and engulfed the two upper storeys. Of the 11 individuals, nine were rescued but Bharto Devi, aged 74 years, and her 42-year-old daughter Mamta Devi died in the fire as they were trapped on the first floor. We, along with the fire department personnel, had to break the rear portion of the house to gain entry. The fire was all around and there was no way to go from the ground floor to the first and second floors,” said Rajnish Kumar Upadhyaya, assistant commissioner of police (Loni).

Three fire tenders and personnel from the Loni and Sahibabad fire stations were pressed into service and it took them over an hour to douse the flames.

“To gain entry to the house, we broke through the nine inch thick rear wall of the house and nine people were rescued with the help of ladders. The 74-year-old woman was found unconscious on a bed on the second floor while the 42-year-old woman was found unconscious on a bed on the first floor of the house. Our teams carried out a search operation till all occupants were found. The complete operation ended around 8.45am,” said Rahul Pal, chief fire officer.

Those rescued include house owner Satish Pal, 50, and other family members of whom four were women.

“All family members were sleeping when the fire started. Initially, the locals started to douse the flames and fire department and the police too joined in the efforts. My grandmother was aged and probably could not get out while my aunt also got trapped inside. The fire started from the ground floor where tent and decoration material were stored,” said Sumit Pal, Bharto Devi’s grandson.

ACP Upadhyaya said prima facie it appears that Bharto Devi died of suffocation while Mamta Devi had some burn injuries on her body.

“We have sent the bodies for an autopsy to know the exact cause of death,” the ACP said.