Diwali tragedy: 12 killed in two MP fires, including infant

• Six members of an Agrawal family, including a two-month-old infant and two children, died after a fire engulfed their three-storey building in Barhi, Katni

• Six family members, including a 16-year-old boy and elderly people, were killed in a house fire in Chhapara, Seoni, while four others were rescued and hospitalised

• Police are investigating both incidents, while allegations of faulty firefighting equipment have raised concerns over emergency response and fire safety

At least 12 members of two families, including a two-month-old infant, children and elderly people, were killed in two separate fire incidents in Madhya Pradesh's Katni and Seoni districts on Diwali night, turning celebrations into mourning.

In the first incident, six members of an Agrawal family died after a massive fire broke out in a three-storey building housing a crockery shop on the ground floor in Barhi town of Katni district around midnight.

The blaze spread rapidly from the shop to the upper floors, where family members were asleep. Thick smoke and flames trapped them inside, leaving little opportunity to escape.

The deceased were identified as Puran Agrawal (77), his wife Chandrakala (74), daughter-in-law Poonam (35), Arya (14), Anvi (6) and a two-month-old infant.

Two other family members managed to escape during the initial moments of the fire. Rescue operations continued through the night, with Puran Agrawal being pulled out around 4.30 am. The remaining five bodies were recovered around 6.30 am after rescuers broke through a wall using a JCB machine.

Sub-divisional officer of police Virendra Narve said the cause of the fire had not yet been established. A diya or an electrical short circuit is suspected to have triggered the blaze, but the exact cause will be determined through an investigation.

Meanwhile, local residents alleged shortcomings in the firefighting response, claiming that the fire tender from Barhi arrived with a damaged pipe. They also alleged that the vehicle from Vijayraghavgarh had a faulty pipe.

Fire tenders from Kaimore and the Katni Municipal Corporation subsequently joined the operation and brought the blaze under control.

In a separate incident, six members of another family were killed after a fire broke out at the residence of bullion trader Kundan Soni in Mahavir Ward of Chhapara town in Seoni district around 3 am.

The deceased were identified as Kundan Lal Soni (75), Rajkumari Soni (65), Ritu Soni (42), Smriti Soni (40), Surya Soni (45) and Aditya Soni (16).

Four other family members, including two minors, were rescued and admitted to hospital. Ten people were reportedly present inside the house when the fire broke out.

SDOP Lakhnadon Apoorva Bhalavi said the family members were asleep when the blaze erupted, leaving them with little time to escape.

The causes of both fires remain unknown, and police have launched investigations into the incidents.

The twin tragedies have cast a shadow over Diwali celebrations in Madhya Pradesh and raised questions about fire safety arrangements, emergency preparedness and the effectiveness of firefighting services during festivals.

With IANS inputs