Two house fires on Diwali night kill 12 in Madhya Pradesh’s Katni and Seoni

Two fires in family homes killed 12 people in Madhya Pradesh on Diwali night, six in Katni district and six in Seoni district, officials said on 9 November.

The first fire broke out around midnight in a three-storey building in Barhi town, Katni district. The family ran a crockery shop on the ground floor and lived on the floors above. Six members of the family died, among them the 77-year-old shop owner, Puran Agrawal, his wife and a two-month-old baby. Two people escaped.

Katni Superintendent of Police Abhinav Vishwakarma said early findings and survivors’ accounts pointed to an earthen lamp placed near a coffee machine. The flames then spread quickly through the house.

How the rescue went

Collector Ashish Tiwari said the call came at about 12.30 a.m. and the first fire engine reached the house by 12.45 a.m. More engines were called later. He said the crockery stored downstairs burned easily, which made the fire hard to control. Rescuers broke through walls to reach people trapped inside. A State Disaster Response Force team arrived by 5 a.m.

Relatives disputed the official timeline. They told Hindustan Times that the first fire engine came an hour late and that its hose was damaged. The Collector said the administration would give the family financial help.

The second fire

At about 4.30 a.m., a fire broke out in the three-storey home of a gold trader, Kundan Lal Soni, 75, in Chhapara town, Seoni district, about 250 km away. Ten family members were inside. Six died, including Mr. Soni, his wife and two daughters-in-law, police said. Four were rescued.

Police said the victims died of smoke and burns. Neighbours fought the flames with buckets until fire engines arrived. The cause of the Seoni fire has not yet been found, police said.