Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Six members of a family, including two teenage girls visiting for Diwali , were killed after a major fire gutted their three-generation house-cum-grocery shop in Yedshi village, about 20km from Dharashiv, around 2.30am on Monday. Police identified the victims as Uttam Trimbak Karande (75), his wife Chandrakala (70), their son Govind (47), daughter-in-law Jyoti (42) and granddaughters Gayatri (17) and Siddhi (15). Govind’s 22-year-old son escaped with minor injuries after stepping out to fetch water to help douse the flames.
Superintendent of police Ritu Khoker Kalyan said an accidental fire case and an accidental death report had been registered. She said the premises housed one of the village’s oldest grocery stores and that the first-floor residence had a single entry and exit through a staircase opening into the shop. “It appears that Govind and Jyoti, on learning about the fire, came down to the grocery store but could not return and were charred there,” she said.
Villagers alleged fire tenders arrived late and did not have sufficient water or diesel. The district administration has ordered an inquiry. Gayatri and Siddhi, students in Dharashiv and Pune respectively, had returned home for Diwali. The bodies of Govind and Jyoti were found in the ground-floor grocery shop, while the remaining four bodies were found on the first floor.
“We have ordered an inquiry into the allegations that some of the fire tenders neither had water nor diesel, due to which there was a delay in the response. Stay updated with the latest Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar news.
Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village Six members of a family died in a fire in Yedshi village Residents said the blaze broke out outside the shop and quickly cut off the family’s only escape route. “Had the fire brigade responded promptly with adequate resources, three to four lives could have been saved,” a resident said. Dharashiv collector Keerthi Kiran Pujar said an inquiry had been ordered. If the allegations are found to be true, appropriate action will follow,” he told TOI . Pujar said fire tenders from Dharashiv civic body and Tuljapur and Kalamb tehsils were deployed but struggled for hours to bring the blaze under control.
Villagers rushed to help, bringing a JCB and using hammers to break walls to reach those trapped inside, but the intensity of the fire and thick smoke thwarted rescue efforts. The villagers alleged some fire tenders reached the spot without sufficient water and diesel, resulting in delays. The ground floor also housed cosmetics and clothing businesses. Investigators suspect large quantities of cooking oil, ghee, plastic goods and other grocery material fuelled the blaze. The family had reportedly stayed awake till around 2am for Diwali celebrations and Laxmi Pujan. A diya left burning is among the suspected causes, though the exact reason remains under investigation. The district administration has sought financial assistance for the surviving family members from the chief minister’s and deputy chief minister’s offices. The last rites of all six victims were conducted at Yedshi’s public crematorium. Download the TOI App.
