Sipu Jha
INDORE: An important clip from the Brijeshwari Annex fire incident shows how the blaze, which began at an electric vehicle (EV) charging point outside a three-storey house, quickly spread to a nearby electric pole, triggering multiple short circuits that worsened the fire and hampered rescue efforts. The fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday around 4 am, quickly engulfing the house and escalating after ‘some’ LPG cylinders stored inside exploded, Commissioner of Police Santosh Kumar Singh said. “The EV charging point exploded first, then the fire spread to the house. Around 10 LPG cylinders were inside, some of which also exploded. Multiple cylinder blasts occurred between 4 am and 4:30 am, making the situation extremely critical,” he added. Rescue teams arrived within minutes and accessed the building through an adjoining structure amid intense flames and thick smoke. Three people were rescued initially, but several others remained trapped, particularly in bedrooms. Six victims were later recovered unconscious and declared dead at the hospital due to smoke inhalation. The deceased have been identified as Vijay Sethia (65), Chhotu Sethia (22), Suman Sethia (60), Manoj Pugalia (65), Simran (30), Rashi Sethia (12), and Tinu (35). The eighth victim’s identity is being confirmed by the police. Domestic help Soni Mhatre, who has worked with the family for 15 years, claimed that there were no electronic locks in the house, contradicting earlier police reports that suggested residents might have been trapped due to locked doors. Dr Arvind Ghanghoriya, Dean of MGM Medical College, said the postmortems are underway and being conducted by a team of forensic experts. “All bodies are badly burned, so the process will take longer than usual. Videography is being done as part of standard protocol,” he said. Firefighters contained the blaze before it could spread to neighboring houses, though the building’s middle floor suffered extensive damage. Officials are investigating whether other flammable materials contributed to the rapid spread. State Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya called the incident an “alarming wake-up call” for EV safety and directed the police to form an expert committee to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for EV charging. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also offered condolences and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. The incident has reignited concerns about EV safety, storage of flammable materials in residential areas, and proper emergency protocols in high-density housing. (With agency inputs)
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