Meerut, February 24: So far, six people, including five children, died in a house fire late Monday night in the Kidwai Nagar area of โโthe Lisadi Gate police station area of โโMeerut district in Uttar Pradesh, police confirmed.
All were cremated according to the Muslim customs on Tuesday. Preliminary investigations revealed the fire was caused by a short circuit.
The District Magistrate (DM) VK Singh stated that textile merchant Iqbal Ahmed’s three-story house is located in Street No. 3, Islamabad, Kidwai Nagar. His two sons, Asim and Farooq, live there as a joint family. On Monday night, Iqbal had gone to the mosque with his sons to offer Taraweeh prayers when the house suddenly caught fire.
He said that before the family could understand anything, the entire house was engulfed in flames.
Neighbors informed Iqbal and the fire brigade about the incident. Police arrived at the scene with firefighters, but the narrow streets prevented the vehicles from reaching the scene. Police extinguished the fire using neighbors’ rooftops and transported the injured to the hospital.
Upon receiving information about the incident, District Magistrate Dr. VK Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey, Deputy Inspector General of Police Kalanidhi Naithani, and Superintendent of Police City Ayush Vikram Singh arrived at the scene with police forces.
Asim’s wife, Rukhsar (30), their three-year-old son, Aqdas, twin daughters Nabiya and Inayat, and Farooq’s children, Mehwish (12) and Hammad (4), were declared dead. The cause of death was reported as burns and suffocation. Iqbal’s wife, Amir Bano, and Shahzad are undergoing treatment. All the bodies were buried on Tuesday.
The DM stated that preliminary investigations revealed that a short circuit caused the fire in the house. Six people, including five children, were killed. Police are taking further action.