Surat, March 31 Four women and a child were killed after a fire broke out in a three-story house in Surat, Gujarat, on Tuesday morning, police said.
The incident occurred in the Mithi Khadi area under the Limbayat police station jurisdiction around 10 am, when a family was busy packing sarees using foam sheets.
Fire brigade teams and ambulances rushed to the scene soon after the fire was reported and conducted a rescue operation, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kanan Desai said.
According to Desai, the fire broke out in a three-story house that the occupants used for saree packing work.
"Since today is a holiday, they had brought a large amount of material for packing. After being alerted, the police, fire brigade, and 108 emergency service personnel reached the scene immediately," she said.
When emergency teams entered the premises, the entire room was filled with dense smoke, making it difficult to access the victims initially, the official said.
"After the smoke was brought slightly under control, it was seen that the front room and the surrounding area were packed with foam sheets used for saree packing. Foam was also kept near the switchboard," she said.
Preliminary investigation suggests the fire may have been triggered by an electrical spark.
"Based on our primary discussion with the fire brigade, we suspect that there might have been an electrical spark and resultant fire in the foam placed in front of the switchboard. Since this foam contains chemicals, it generated heavy smoke," the DCP said.
The victims succumbed to suffocation caused by the toxic smoke, she said.
"Due to the smoke and resulting suffocation, four women and a child were severely affected. They were shifted to Civil Hospital in serious condition and later died during treatment," Desai added.
The victims have been identified as Shehnaz Begum Ansari (65), Husa Begam Ansari (18), Shabina Ansari (28), Parvin Abdul Ansari (19), and Subhan Ali Ansari (4), the official said.
Eyewitness Yunus Khan claimed the fire spread rapidly due to the presence of highly flammable materials.
"There were sacks of foam and sarees lying inside. When they caught fire, the family members panicked and moved to a back room, thinking they would be safe. But the foam contained chemicals and produced toxic gas, which caused their death," he claimed.
The victims came to Surat from Uttar Pradesh and were involved in saree packing work. While the women and a child were at home, the male members had gone out for work, Khan told reporters.