An 18-year-old family member was the sole survivor of the tragedy, which occurred while the family was celebrating Diwali . Six members of a family, including two teenage girls, died after a fire engulfed their grocery store and residence in Yedshi village of Dharashiv district in the early hours of Monday.
The bodies were shifted to Dharashiv Government Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination. Fire brigade teams from Kalamb and Tuljapur were deployed, with police personnel, residents and firefighters joining the rescue and firefighting operations. The blaze was brought under control around 5 am.
Dharashiv superintendent of police Ritu Khokhar said, “Due to plastic and oil-related products being stored in shops in large quantities, the fire spread rapidly. Four members died due to suffocation after being trapped in the smoke, while two others suffered fatal burn injuries while attempting to escape.
The flames spread rapidly, trapping the family members as thick smoke filled the residential portion. Preliminary information suggests that the family had stayed up late to celebrate Diwali. Locals suspect the fire was triggered by oil lamps (diyas) left burning during the festivities or by firecrackers. One member who managed to escape was asked to fetch buckets of water, while others attempted to rescue those trapped inside. However, the flames and thick smoke prevented them from entering the building.
The fire broke out around 2.30 am at Karande Kirana Stores, where the family lived on the first floor and operated the grocery business on the ground floor. The deceased have been identified as Uttam Karande (75), his wife Chandrakala (72), their son Govind (45), daughter-in-law Jyoti (40), and granddaughters Gayatri (16) and Siddhi (15). Their 18-year-old family member, Krishna Karande, survived.
Maybe due to single entry and exit, it was difficult for them to get out of the home.”
However, officials said the exact cause is yet to be established. A driver working for a travel company first noticed the fire and alerted the family, according to residents. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Keerthi Kiran Pujar, collector and district magistrate of Dharashiv, said, “Six family members died in a fire that broke out in a grocery store having ground plus two-storey buildings.
