A major fire has occurred in Surat city of Gujarat. Five people of the same family died in a fire in a three-storey house in Limbayat area here. The dead included four women and a small child. This accident happened around 10 am on Tuesday in Mithi Khadi area. Police and fire department teams reached the spot and started relief and rescue operations.
Fire broke out during saree packing
According to the police, saree packing work was done in the house where the fire broke out. At the time of the accident, the family members were packing the sarees with the help of foam sheets. Since it was a holiday, there was a lot of packing material and foam stored in the house. Meanwhile, suddenly a fire broke out and within no time the entire room was filled with black smoke.
Five people lost their lives due to suffocation
Deputy Police Commissioner Kanan Desai said that as soon as information about the fire was received, police, fire brigade and 108 ambulances reached the spot. The room was filled with smoke. People trapped inside started suffocating. Everyone was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but they died during treatment.
Short circuit may be the reason
Initial investigation has revealed that the fire may have started due to spark in the electrical board. A foam sheet was kept near the board, in which chemicals are used. As soon as the foam caught fire, poisonous gas and heavy smoke started coming out. Due to exposure to this poisonous smoke, the family members became unconscious and died.
The deceased were residents of Uttar Pradesh
The victims of the accident were originally from Uttar Pradesh and used to work in saree packing in Surat. The deceased have been identified as Shahnaz Begum Ansari (65), Hussa Begum Ansari (18), Shabina Ansari (28), Parveen Abdul Ansari (19) and Subhan Ali Ansari (4). At the time of the incident the men of the house had gone out for work.
Eyewitnesses told what they saw with their own eyes
Local resident Yunus Khan said that the fire spread very quickly because there were piles of foam and sarees inside the house. As soon as the fire broke out, the family members ran towards the back room to save their lives, but poisonous smoke reached there too. Due to the chemicals present in the foam, the smoke engulfed everyone. At present the police is investigating the matter in detail.