Indore vehicle showroom owner dies in fire caused by house lamp, daughter hospitalized

The owner of a major automobile manufacturer’s showroom died, apparently due to suffocation, after a fire broke out in a three-storey commercial-cum-residential building in Indore in the wee hours of Thursday, a police official said.

A minor daughter of the deceased, Pravesh Agarwal, who was also a local Congress politician, was hospitalised after she inhaled smoke that filled the family’s penthouse located in the building following the blaze, said the official.

Police Inspector Neetu Singh told reporters that the fire broke out at around 5 am in the building in the Lasudia police station area.

She said the four-wheeler manufacturer’s showroom is located on the first two floors of the building, while the family of outlet owner Agarwal resided in the penthouse on the third floor.

Singh stated that it seems a lamp in the showroom owner’s house caused the blaze.

“Initially, it was discovered that an eternal lamp (a continuously burning oil diya) was burning in the temple in Agarwal’s home. This lamp caused the fire. Gradually, the entire house filled with smoke, and the occupants began to suffocate,” informed the Inspector.

Agarwal, his wife, and two minor daughters were sleeping in the house at the time of the fire.

“Showroom owner Pravesh Agarwal died in the incident. At first glance, it appears he died of suffocation. His body has been sent for a post-mortem examination,” Singh said.

“Agarwal’s elder daughter was admitted to a private hospital and doctors are monitoring her condition. The other two family members are safe,” according to the police officer.

Fire Department Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sushil Kumar Dubey told PTI, “As soon as we received information about the fire, we reached the spot and controlled it. Pravesh Agarwal had suffocated due to heavy smoke in the house. When we reached him, we found him unconscious. We have learned that before falling unconscious, he tried his best to get his two daughters out of the house.” According to Dubey, there was not enough space for smoke to escape from the penthouse.

He said vehicles parked on the ground floor of the commercial-cum-residential building were not damaged in the blaze.

Congress veteran Kamal Nath and other party leaders expressed grief over Agarwal’s death.