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8 of Kishanganj bizman’s family burnt alive in blaze in Indore
The deceased included two minor children and three women, they said. The family reportedly went to Indore for the cancer treatment of family patriarch Vijay Sethia, a reputed cosmetic businessman of Kishanganj.
In a heart-rending incident, eight members of a family from Kishanganj, Bihar, were burnt alive when a fire broke out in a three-storey house after an explosion at an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging point outside the building in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, early on Wednesday, officials said.
According to the police, the fire broke out in the house at Brajeshwari Annex Colony between 3.30 and 4.30 am.
The deceased included two minor children and three women, they said. The family reportedly went to Indore for the cancer treatment of family patriarch Vijay Sethia, a reputed cosmetic businessman of Kishanganj.
Those who lost their lives have been identified as Vijay Sathia (65), Chhotu Sethia (62), Suman (60), Manoj Pugalia (65), Simran (30), Rashi Sethiya (12), Tinu (35) and Tanay (8). The deceased were residents of Kishanganj town area.
Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Dean Dr. Arvind Ghanghoria said the bodies of the eight persons killed in the fire were brought to a government hospital and post-mortems were being conducted.
Three badly injured persons were undergoing treatment. The injured have been identified as Saurabh Pugalia (30), Ashish (30), and Harshit Pugalia (25). Sources said, “The death toll will rise as the condition of the injured is critical.”
Police said, “Vijay Sethia, along with his wife and son had gone to Indore (MP) for his mouth cancer treatment and was staying at his sister’s house at Brijeshwari Annex near Bengali Square in Indore where the incident took place.” Police added, “The house belonged to Manoj Pugalia, a polymer trader.” Manoj Puugalia, Vijay Sethia’s brother-in-law, also lost his life.
Vijay Sethia, diagnosed with mouth cancer, had gone to Indore on Tuesday for surgery scheduled for Thursday. He, along with six others staying in the house, died in the devastating fire.
A car was being charged outside the three-storey house. Police Commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh said, “There was an explosion at the charging point, and the fire in the car then engulfed the house.”
He said the house doors had electronic locks, making it difficult for the police to break in.
Singh added that cooking gas cylinders inside the house also exploded, intensifying the blaze.
Alarmed by the incident, the Madhya Pradesh government announced a detailed investigation by a committee of experts and the framing of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for EV charging.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured persons. PM Modi posted on X, saying he was deeply pained by the loss of lives in the incident. He said, “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav said the incident was extremely heartbreaking.
State Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who visited the scene, said, “This tragic incident is alarming because the house caught fire while an EV was being charged. We have asked the police and administration to conduct a detailed investigation by a committee of experts to prevent a recurrence of this incident.” The minister added that an SOP for EV charging will also be prepared alongside the investigation.
He said, “In light of the rising crude oil prices due to current geopolitical developments, there is a growing interest in electric vehicles. In such a situation, the fire that occurred during the charging of an EV serves as a caution for us.”
