Tragedy struck as a fire engulfed a building in Latur, Maharashtra, on Thursday, resulting in the loss of three lives, which included two women from the same family. Additionally, four individuals resorted to jumping from the second floor of the building to escape the flames, according to officials.
The fire took place in four-storeyed ‘Shivai’ building near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk at 8:30am, possibly due to a short-circuit in a flower shop on the ground floor, an official said. The fire spread to the upper floors. Three persons, including an octogenarian, who were coming down from the third floor got caught in the thick smoke that had engulfed the staircase area and died of suffocation, he said.
Four persons living on the second floor tied sarees and jumped onto the gallery of the building, in the process sustaining injuries. They have been hospitalised, he added. Personnel from the fire brigade broke the door of the first floor, where they found the bodies of Kusum Londhe (80), Sunil Londhe (58) and Pramila Londhe (50), and later extinguished the blaze, he said.