Infant twins, children among 6 of family killed in Meerut house fire; short circuit suspected

Police said the family was into tailoring and online garment business, for which a large quantity of cloth was stored on the ground floor of the three-storey house, causing the fire to spread rapidly.

A devastating accident has shaken Meerut after a suspected short circuit triggered a massive blaze inside a house in the Lisadi Gate area, killing six members of an extended family, including two four-month-old twin sisters, and three children aged 4 and 12. According to officials, the blaze at Iqbal Ahmad's residence on Monday night spread rapidly when most male members of the family were out to offer Ramzan namaz, leaving little time for the others to escape. Police said the family was into tailoring and online garment business, for which a large quantity of cloth was stored on the ground floor of the three-storey house, causing the fire to spread rapidly. Mohammad Farooq, a family member, said he had gone to offer namaz when he received a call about the fire. ''By the time I came back, a huge crowd had gathered outside the house. The blaze killed my daughter, my son, my younger brother's twin daughters and his son. My elderly mother survived the fire, though her blood pressure shot up due to the shock,'' Farooq said. The deceased have been identified as Rukhsar (25), Mahbish (12), Hammad (4), Akdas (4), Nabia (4 months) and Inayat (4 months), all residents of Gali No. 3 near the Surahi Wali Masjid in Kidwai Nagar, police said. One injured woman, Ameer Bano (55), is undergoing treatment at a hospital, they said. The victims were laid to rest at the Bale Miyan cemetery at Nauchandi on Tuesday afternoon. Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed when the coffins were carried out of the house, where a large number of people gathered to mourn the family's loss. Officials said the family members had given in writing that they didn't want a post-mortem of the bodies. The incident occurred at Kidwai Nagar around 8 pm on Monday. Seven people were admitted to the hospital with burn injuries, of which six died, Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey told reporters. Police confirmed the deaths after midnight. A Dial 112 response vehicle was rushed to the spot within three minutes of receiving information about the blaze, followed by fire tenders, Pandey said. The narrow lanes in the locality posed a major challenge for the firefighters, prompting them to deploy motorcycles and later access the house from the adjoining rooftops, officials said. The firemen had to break a wall to gain entry into the building. A local also assisted in the rescue efforts by placing a ladder to help evacuate those trapped on the first floor of the house, the SSP said. While five people were rescued from the first floor, those trapped on the second floor were engulfed by dense smoke and flames. ''The biggest challenge was to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to the adjoining houses,'' Pandey said. While a short circuit is suspected to have triggered the fire, police said the exact cause will be known after a thorough investigation. District Magistrate V K Singh, who visited the spot, termed the incident ''heart-rending and extremely unfortunate''. He said a detailed inquiry has been ordered, and prima facie it appears that an electrical fault in a machine or appliance may have sparked the blaze. Officials from the electricity department have been sent to the site, and their findings will be shared soon, he said. The official confirmed that the family opted not to conduct a post-mortem of the bodies and that no demand for government assistance or compensation has been made so far. Chief Fire Officer Surendra Singh said four fire tenders were pressed into service and, with the help of locals, seven people were pulled out and taken to a nearby private hospital, from where they were referred to the medical college, where six died. A relative said the house had a large stock of garments, which intensified the blaze. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and directed the officials concerned to expedite relief measures, an official statement said.

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