Major fire in yarn godown, elderly woman, minor grandson die due to asphyxiation

A major fire broke out in a house-cum-yarn godown near Bharat Nagar Chowk on Wednesday morning. An elderly woman, Sudha Chopra (75), and her grandson Garv Chopra (16) died due to asphyxiation during the incident.

Though no flames reached the two upper floors where two families stay, the godown situated on the ground floor had completely gutted. Smoke caused by the fire choked them to death. Garv was the only child of his parents.

The pet dog of the family, which was also present inside the building at the time of the incident, had also died. Short-circuit in the godown was suspected to be the cause of fire.

The entire stock of yarn lying on the ground floor and the first floor reduced to ashes. Besides stock, furniture and other valuables also gutted in the fire. The family was into yarn trading business for a long time.

The elderly woman, who was sitting on the sofa and was paralysed, was found dead on the sofa on the first floor while Garv was found unconscious in a room on the second floor. When the incident occurred, seven family members had rushed out for safety. When the family members, including grandfather of Garv, went out safely, they realised that Garv and Sudha Chopra were still in the house. As the fire had spread and nothing was visible at the scene, firemen reached the place and started the rescue operation.

“We could not enter the building from the ground floor due to intense fire. Hence, entered it from the adjoining house. We made a chain by holding hands of each other for precautionary purpose and first took out Garv who was lying unconscious in the room and afterwards, went to the first floor where his grandmother was already lying dead. The boy was rushed to a hospital but he could not survive,” said Assistant Divisional Fire Officer (ADFO) Jaswinder Singh.

He said one of the firemen had almost fainted during the rescue operation due to dense smoke in the building but he was taken out and later, regained consciousness.

Jeevan Gupta, senior BJP leader, who also rushed to the scene to inquire about the incident, said he knows the family for many years. After the incident occurred, Rajan Chopra, his wife Ritu Chopra, his elderly father, Rajan’s brother Rajat Chopra, his wife Mamta Chopra and two children managed to come out safely. But when they realised that the elderly woman and Garv were stuck inside, the fire had spread rapidly in the ground floor.

Area councillor Ruchi Vishal Gulati said the victims had planned to hold a Navratri puja at home on Wednesday and residents were also invited but the tragedy had left them traumatised.