4 of family die of asphyxiation after fire in house

Four members of a family died from suffocation after inhaling smoke from a fire in their house in Godhra town, police said on Friday.

The incident occurred in Gangotri Nagar between Thursday night and Friday. The victims were Kamal Doshi (50), a jeweller, his wife Devalben (45), and their sons Dev (24) and Raj (22). They died in their sleep, said A Division police station officer RM Vasaiya.

The family was preparing for the engagement of one of the sons, and they were supposed to leave for Vapi on Friday morning.

“Prima facie, the wooden furniture in the house caught fire due to a short circuit in a split air conditioner on the ground floor. The four died of asphyxiation due to smoke”, said Vasaiya.

One of the deceased also sustained burn injuries, he said.

The bodies were discovered by fire brigade personnel when they rushed to the spot after receiving a call about a blaze.

“They had to force their way into the house and found four persons lying unconscious. They were shifted to the civil hospital where doctors declared them brought dead,” an official said.