2 families, 2 fires, 12 deaths: Madhya Pradesh witnesses twin fire tragedies

At least 12 members of two families were killed in separate fire incidents in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni and Katni districts during Diwali, while four others were injured in one of the tragedies.

In Seoni district, six members of a family were killed and four others injured after a massive fire broke out at a three-storey house belonging to a goldsmith in Chhapara town early Monday. The blaze erupted between 4am and 4.30am at the residence of Kundan Lal Soni, near a Jain temple in Mahavir Ward, news agency PTI reported. 10 people were present in the house when the fire broke out. Six of them died, while four were evacuated, sub-divisional officer of police Apoorva Bhalavi told news agency PTI. The deceased have been identified as Soni, 75, his wife Rajkumari, 65, Ritu, 42, Smriti, 40, Surya, 45, and Aditya, 16. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, officials informed.

In a separate incident in Katni district, six members of another family, including a two-month-old infant, died after a fire broke out at a crockery shop in a three-storey building in Barhi town around midnight on Monday, PTI reported. The deceased have been identified as Puran Agarwal, 77, who ran the shop, his wife Chandrakala, 74, daughter-in-law Poonam, granddaughters Arya, 14, and Anvi, 6, and a two-month-old infant. The baby died in his mother's arms, eyewitnesses said. The fire quickly spread through the building, trapping family members who were inside. The infant died in his mother Poonam's arms, a sight that brought tears to the eyes of those present and spread a wave of grief across the town, eyewitnesses said. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.