Gujarat, April 01: A major tragedy has occurred in Surat, Gujarat. Five members of a family have died in a fire that broke out in a three-storey house in Limbayat area. Four women and a small child are among the deceased. The incident took place in Mithi Khadi area around 10 am on Tuesday. Police and fire brigade teams reached the spot and started rescue and relief operations.
The fire broke out in the house where sarees were being packed. The family members were packing the sarees using foam sheets. Since it was a holiday, a large amount of packing materials and foam had been stored in the house. Suddenly, the fire broke out and the entire room was filled with black smoke.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai said that after receiving information about the fire, the police, fire brigade and 108 ambulances reached the spot. The room was filled with thick smoke. The people trapped inside were suffocating and falling ill. All of them were taken to the hospital in critical condition. But they died during treatment.
Initial investigation revealed that the fire may have been caused by a spark in an electrical board. A foam sheet containing chemicals was kept near the board. As soon as the fire started, the foam started emitting toxic gas and heavy smoke. The family members who inhaled this toxic smoke lost consciousness and died. The deceased were from Uttar Pradesh and worked as saree packers in Surat. The deceased have been identified as Shahnaz Begum Ansari (65), Husa Begum Ansari (18), Shabina Ansari (28), Parveen Abdul Ansari (19), and Subhan Ali Ansari (4). The men of the house had gone to work at the time of the incident.