A devastating fire engulfed a five-storey building in Kanpur’s Chamanganj locality on May 4, claiming the lives of a couple and their three young children.
The blaze erupted around 8 PM and continued into the early morning hours, despite extensive firefighting efforts.
The victims, identified as Mohammad Danish (45), his wife Nazneen Saba (42), and their daughters Sara (15), Simra (12), and Inaya (7), were in their residential unit when the flames spread rapidly. While the couple’s remains were discovered hours after the fire, their children were rescued and rushed to the hospital, but later succumbed to their injuries.
Initial reports suggest that a short circuit or faulty wiring in the building, which housed a shoe manufacturing unit, might have triggered the incident. The situation worsened when domestic LPG cylinders exploded inside the structure, further fueling the flames.
Local residents raised alarms as smoke and fire engulfed the premises, leading to swift evacuations from nearby buildings to prevent further casualties. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the disaster.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Seesamau), Manjay Singh, stated, “While the exact reason remains unclear, initial suspicions point towards a possible short circuit or faults in the internal wiring.”
Emergency responders have since controlled the fire, but the incident has raised concerns about fire safety measures in multi-purpose buildings in the area.
