A former deputy superintendent of police and his three-year-old grandson were among six people who died of suffocation in a fire at a rented house in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Wednesday morning, an official said.
Four other people who were injured in the incident are being treated at the hospital.
According to the police, after seeing the fire in the house around 2:30 in the morning, the locals rescued the occupants of the house. The house was filled with thick smoke, suffocating the sleeping occupants, they said.
The victims were shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Kathua where six people, including two minors, were declared ‘brought dead’, officials said.
The deceased are 81-year-old former Deputy SP Avtar Krishna Raina, his daughter Barkha Raina (25), son Takash (3), 17-year-old Ganga Bhagat, 15-year-old Danish Bhagat and 6-year-old. Advik, a police officer, said.
The injured are 61-year-old Swarna, 40-year-old Neetu Devi, 15-year-old Arun Kumar and a 69-year-old woman of Avatar Krishna Raina.
Dr. Surinder Atri, principal of the hospital said, ‘Ten people were brought to the hospital. Six people died, and four others were injured. The initial investigation showed that the injured died of suffocation due to smoke, he said, adding that no injuries were caused by the fire.
“This is an unfortunate incident. Our Assistant Matron, who had recently retired, was living in a rented house. The incident took place between 2 am and 3 am. He called on the phone and I immediately informed the police and the fire brigade,” added the doctor.
Rocky Sharma, a student who was studying late at night, reached home with others after seeing the fire. “The fire gutted the drawing room and the other rooms died due to smoke inhalation,” he added.
The police have registered a case and started investigation in this matter.
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