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Indore: Fire brigade came ‘far too late’, says survivor
Survivor of Indore fire tragedy blames delayed fire response for eight family deaths, denying claims of a digital lock trapping victims inside.
Bhopal: One of the survivors of the March 17 Indore fire tragedy alleged that delays in the arrival of fire tenders caused the deaths of eight members of his family, while denying that a digital lock trapped the victims inside the house, contrary to police claims.
Thirty-two-year-old Saurabh Pugalia, who survived the incident, met Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday at the Jain Shwetambar Terapanthi Auditorium and sought strict action against the fire brigade, claiming it reached the spot “far too late”. He said, “Lives could have been saved if the fire tender had arrived on time. It came nearly an hour late, and even then, the water tank was not full.”
He also dismissed reports of a digital lock on the main door. “There was no digital lock. Instead, a normal lock on the rooftop left some family members stranded,” he said.
Indore mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav, however, disputed the delay claim. “As per records, the fire tender’s response time was 17 minutes. The team faced obstacles as a car, three bikes, a scooter, LPG cylinders and AC compressors were already ablaze, and the doors were jammed,” he said, adding that the administration is probing the incident.
The fire broke out late on Tuesday at 60-year-old businessman Manoj Pugalia’s house in Brajeshwari Annexe Colony, killing Pugalia, his four-month pregnant daughter-in-law Simran, his brother-in-law Vijay Sethia, Sethia’s wife Suman, Manoj’s son Kartik, his daughter Ruchika Jain, and Ruchika’s children Rashi and Tanay. Pugalia’s son Saurabh managed to escape with three other family members. Earlier, police had said an explosion at the charging point of an electric vehicle parked outside the house triggered the blaze, which later engulfed the entire structure.
Saurabh said sparking from an electric pole near the car may have triggered the fire. Police later found three bodies on the staircase, suggesting they may have been trying to escape through the rooftop. A woman and two children’s bodies were found near the kitchen, while Simran was on a bed.
