Dhanbad, Dec 16 At least two people were killed and six others injured in a massive fire that broke out in a three-storey residential building at Vikas Nagar under the Saraidhela police station area of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand around midnight on Monday, officials said on Tuesday.
Two of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The deceased have been identified as 22-year-old Prashant Kumar alias Golu and 70-year-old Chintamani Devi, his grandmother.
According to officials, Prashant Kumar had arrived from Patna about 15 days ago to stay at his grandmother’s house. At the time of the incident, 15 people were present in the building -- eight sleeping on the ground floor, three on the first floor and four on the second floor.
The fire reportedly originated on the ground floor, following which thick smoke rapidly spread throughout the building. Most occupants were asleep when the blaze erupted, triggering panic and frantic screams.
While those on the first and second floors managed to escape, people trapped on the ground floor struggled due to heavy smoke.
Local residents attempted to douse the flames and rescue those trapped, but excessive smoke hampered their efforts. The fire department was subsequently alerted.
Three fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after nearly one-and-a-half hours of operation.
Deepak Oraon, in-charge of the Dhanbad Fire Department, said fire engines faced difficulty accessing the site due to the narrow lane leading to the building.
He added that the situation could have been less difficult had the main gate not been locked.
Preliminary investigation suggests the fire was caused by a short circuit. Officials said Chintamani Devi had gone to sleep after switching on a heater in her room around midnight, and the fire was noticed by other occupants at around 1 a.m.
Six people sleeping on the ground floor sustained injuries, two of them critically, and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Police have taken the bodies into custody and sent them to a hospital for post-mortem examination. Further investigation into the incident is underway.
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