5 charred to death in house fire at Mandi’s Ner Chowk

Dipender Manta

Tribune News service

Mandi, July 23

At least five people, including three woman, one child and a man, were charred to death when a house caught fire at Ner Chowk in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district in wee hours on Monday. 

The fire broke out around 5 am, when the people were asleep after a 'baraat' (wedding procession) returned with the bridegroom and the bride late in the night

The deceased were identified as the parents of the bridegroom, Narender Soni (66) and Veena Soni (62); the sister of Narender, Sudesh (70); her daughter-in-law, Mona (40); and her 12-year-old son, Sai Sohel, the family sources said.

The tragedy has shaken the people of Ner Chowk and relatives of deceased, who were inconsolable. According to eye witnesses, they were sleeping in the morning, where the fire broke out.

The cause of incident is stated to be short circuit.

Superintendent of Police Mandi Gurdev Chand Sharma said that police and fire brigade rushed to the spot to douse the fire, but could not save lives.

There was smoke all around and the deaths may have occurred due to suffocation also. The fire has been doused, he said.

The state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, an official said.

Mandi Deputy Commissioner Rugved Thakur said Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Rajiv Kumar would probe the incident.

The ADM will inquire all the aspects, including the cause of the fire and allegations of fire-fighters arriving late at the spot. The ADM will submit the report within seven days, he said.

Expressing “heartfelt condolences” to the bereaved family members, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur assured that the cause of the fire would be probed and every possible help would be provided to the victims’ kin. With PTI