Four, including 2-year-old girl, killed in Sangli building fire

Four members of family, including two-year-old girl, died after fire swept through ground-plus-three-storey building in Vita town, Sangli district, on Monday morning

Pune: Four members of a family, including a two-year-old girl, died when a devastating fire swept through a ground-plus-three-storey building in Vita town, Sangli district, on Monday morning.

Four members of family, including two-year-old girl, died after fire swept through ground-plus-three-storey building in Vita town, Sangli district, on Monday morning. (HT)

Officials said the blaze erupted at around 9 am at Hanuman Steel Centre in the busy Savarkarnagar market area. The fire reportedly started on the ground floor, where the steel shop was located, and dense smoke quickly spread upward, engulfing the entire structure before firefighters could bring it under control.

The deceased were identified as Vishnu Pandurang Joshi (50), his wife Sunanda Vishnu Joshi (45), their daughter Priyanka Yogesh Ingale (25), and her daughter Shrushti Yogesh Ingale (2).

Two other family members, siblings Suraj and Manish Joshi, were rescued with the help of local police, fire brigade personnel, and neighbours. The tragedy struck days before Manish Joshi’s wedding, scheduled for November 16. Police said he lost both parents in the fire.

Police inspector Dhananjay Phadatare of Vita police station said the Joshi family lived on the second and third floors of the building. “The building had a single entry and exit. Dense smoke made it impossible for all family members to evacuate, resulting in the deaths of four members due to suffocation. Two others were rescued by breaking through a wall from an adjoining building,” he said.

Fire brigade officials from Vita, Karad, and neighbouring centres, along with private fire engines, rushed to the scene. However, narrow lanes in the area posed challenges for rescue operations, officials said.

According to authorities, steel vessels, cooking utensils, cupboards, and other household items in the shop were completely gutted. Police estimated the damage to shop materials at ₹1– ₹1.5 crore.

Preliminary reports suggest an electrical short circuit in the steel shop may have triggered the blaze. Fire brigade teams and local police brought the flames under control and have begun assessing the damage.