Bhubaneswar, March 19 – As many as 416 people have lost their lives due to fire accidents across Odisha over the last three years, according to a written reply submitted to the state assembly by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday.
The data reveals that 192 people died in fire accidents across Odisha in 2022-23. The number of fatalities gradually declined in the following years, with 118 deaths in 2023-24 and 106 in 2024-25, indicating a slow but steady improvement in fire-related fatalities.
Besides the loss of lives, the data shared in the assembly also revealed that properties worth Rs 27.84 crore have been damaged in fire accidents across the state over the last three years.
The Minister also revealed that 6578 people have lost their lives in the state during the last two years, 2023-24 and 2024-25, due to natural hazards such as snakebites, lightning, and drowning.
The state Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Suresh Pujari, revealed this information in the Odisha Assembly in a written reply on Thursday.
According to the information, the state recorded 2006 deaths due to drowning in various local bodies across the state during 2023-24. The number of deaths related to drowning marginally decreased to 1854 in the 2024-25 financial year.
Drowning continued to be the leading cause of deaths related to disasters in Odisha, even as the number of deaths due to lightning increased in 2024–25, according to official data.
Deaths due to lightning in various parts of Odisha increased from 286 in 2023-24 to 314 during 2024-25. Additionally, the number of deaths due to snakebites also showed a significant decline in the state, dropping from 1,147 in 2023–24 to 971 in 2024–25, the data revealed.
Odisha has consistently ranked among the Indian states with the highest number of fatalities caused by snakebites, highlighting a persistent public health and safety concern.
In response to another query, Pujari revealed in his written reply that as many as 1336 people have died due to lightning over the last 5 years.