Assam: Woman, daughter charred to death; husband injured in Guwahati apartment fire

The Chakraborty family was reportedly sleeping when the fire broke out at the residential apartment in the Maligaon area around 4 am

Silchar: A 50-year-old woman and her daughter were charred to death, while her husband was injured, after a fire broke out in their flat in Assam’s Guwahati early Thursday morning, police said.

Subrata, a retired railway employee, sustained severe burn injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at the GMCH. (Representative photo)

“We received information in the early hours and a police team went to the spot along with fire brigade personnel,” an officer from the Maligaon Police Station told HT.

The Chakraborty family was reportedly sleeping when the fire broke out at the residential apartment in the Maligaon area around 4 am.

The husband, Subrata, who was sleeping in a different room, said that the deceased — Sarmistha and their teenage daughter Dipshikha — were unconscious when they were rescued. “My wife and daughter were trapped inside as the flames spread rapidly from one room to another. I tried to reach them, but it was impossible for me,” he said.

They were rushed to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where doctors declared the mother and the daughter dead on arrival. Subrata, a retired railway employee, sustained severe burn injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at the GMCH.

The neighbours alerted the fire department. “When we reached, we saw Subrata outside the house with burn injuries. It was impossible to enter because of the intense heat and smoke. The fire brigade managed to recover the bodies later,” a neighbour said.

Police said that the preliminary probe suggests a short circuit triggered the fire; however, some locals have raised concerns of possible foul play.

A senior officer of Guwahati city police said, “Though it appears to be an accidental fire caused by a suspected short circuit, we are not ruling out any other possibilities until the forensic reports are out.”

“The burn patterns and electrical circuits are being examined. Only after a thorough investigation can we ascertain whether this was an accident or if negligence or any foul play was involved,” the officer added.

A team from the crime branch of Assam Police’s crime investigation department (CID) and forensic experts have inspected the site and collected samples. The bodies were sent for postmortem.