Mother, minor son killed in Ambala blaze

A woman and her two-year-old son were killed after a massive fire broke out in a house in Friends Colony, Ambala City, on Thursday. The victims were identified as Ekta (32) and her minor son, Ridhansh (2). In the incident, the woman’s husband, Raja Ram (40), and a relative, 13-year-old Tanushka, sustained severe burn injuries.

As per information, the family had been preparing ‘gajak’ — a traditional winter sweet — at the time of the incident. A bhatti (oven) had reportedly been installed inside the house for the preparation. Neighbours told authorities that they heard a loud blast, followed immediately by a huge fire engulfing the residence.

Fire tenders rushed to the spot upon receiving information and battled the blaze for nearly two hours before bringing it under control. Teams of the SDRF, local police and SDM Ambala City Darshan Kumar also reached the site to oversee rescue operations.

An on-duty doctor at the Civil Hospital said all four injured persons were brought to the hospital, but the woman and her child were declared dead on arrival. “The girl was referred to GMCH-32 in Chandigarh, while the male is undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital in Ambala City,” hospital staff said.

Dr Renu Beri, PMO of the Civil Hospital, said smoke inhalation was suspected to be the primary cause of death. “The exact cause would be clear in the post-mortem report only,” she said. The post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted tomorrow.