Twin infants, three kids among 6 killed in fire at Meerut cloth trader's house

Meerut (UP), Feb 24 (PTI) Tragedy struck a cloth trader's family here when six members, including four-month-old twin sisters and three other children, perished in a fire triggered by a suspected electrical malfunction at its three-storey house, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 8 on Monday night at Kidwai Nagar in the Lisadi Gate area. Seven people were admitted to hospital with burn injuries, of whom six died, Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey told reporters.

Police confirmed the deaths after midnight.

The house belongs to Iqbal Ahmed, whose family is engaged in tailoring and an online garment business. A large quantity of clothing material was stored on the ground floor, which officials said could have aided the rapid spread of the fire.

The blaze is suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault in a machine or home appliance, they said.

The deceased have been identified as Rukhsar (25), Mahbish (12), Hammad (4), Akdas (4), Nabia and Inayat (4 months).

The twins and the other children were the offspring of Iqbal Ahmed's sons, Farooq and Aseem. Aseem's wife, Rukhsar, also died in the incident. One injured woman, Ameer Bano (55), is undergoing treatment, police said.

According to officials, some male members of the family had gone to offer Taraweeh namaz at the nearby Surahi Wali Masjid when the fire broke out, leaving others inside the house.

Mohammad Farooq said he was at the mosque when he received a call about the blaze.

"By the time I returned, a huge crowd had gathered. The blaze killed my daughter, my son, my younger brother's twin daughters and his son. My elderly mother survived, though her blood pressure shot up due to the shock," he said.

Eyewitness Raisuddin said residents rushed to the spot after hearing screams from inside the house and alerted the police and fire department.

He said fire tenders could not reach the exact location directly because of the narrow lanes in the locality.

Another eyewitness, Salman, said the fire allegedly broke out due to a short circuit and quickly assumed massive proportions.

Local resident Aamir said Aseem's elder daughter had gone to her maternal grandmother's house at the time of the incident, which saved her life. However, his wife and other children were present in the house and were caught in the blaze.

A Dial 112 response vehicle reached the spot within three minutes of receiving information, followed by four fire tenders, Pandey said.

The narrow lanes posed a major challenge for firefighters, who deployed motorcycles and accessed the house from adjoining rooftops. Fire personnel also broke a wall to gain entry into the building.

While five people were rescued from the first floor, those trapped on the second floor were engulfed by dense smoke and flames. The priority was to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to adjoining houses, the SSP said.

He also hailed the role of a good Samaritan in the rescue operations.

Chief Fire Officer Surendra Singh said seven people were pulled out and taken to a nearby private hospital before being referred to a medical college, where six succumbed.

District Magistrate V K Singh, who visited the spot, said a detailed inquiry has been ordered. Officials from the electricity department have been sent to the site, and their findings are awaited.

Officials said the family gave in writing that they did not want post-mortem examinations conducted and have not sought any government assistance so far.

The victims were laid to rest at the Bale Miyan cemetery in Nauchandi on Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, residents said no such incident had occurred in the locality earlier, and a pall of gloom has descended on the area following the tragedy.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the bereaved family and had directed officials to expedite relief measures, an official statement said. PTI KIS/COR ZMN