Daijiworld Media Network – Godhra

Godhra, Nov 21: In a heart-wrenching tragedy, a family of four from Godhra’s Bamroli Road lost their lives in a devastating house fire early Friday, just hours before they were to leave for Vapi for the engagement of their elder son, Dev.

The deceased have been identified as jeweller Kamal Doshi (50), his wife Deval (45), and their sons Dev (24) and Raj (22). Fire and emergency personnel discovered the family inside the smoke-filled residence after neighbours alerted them.

According to officials, the blaze is suspected to have erupted in the early hours while the family was asleep. Fire officer Mukesh Ahir said an upholstered sofa in the basement is believed to have caught fire, quickly filling the entire house with thick smoke.

“The windows and doors were closed, and the smoke filled the entire house. The four members, who may have been asleep, did not get a chance to escape and probably died due to smoke inhalation,” Ahir said.

Fire personnel broke open the glass windows to release the smoke before locating the soot-covered bodies on the upper floors. Police and forensic teams soon reached the spot, and the bodies were sent for postmortem. A case of accidental death has been registered, and the exact cause of the fire is under investigation.

Doshi was the owner of Vardhaman Jewellers in Godhra.

“We cannot believe this has happened… We hope it is a nightmare we wake up from,” a grieving relative told The Indian Express, recalling that the family was preparing to travel to Vapi for the engagement ceremony.

The incident has left the community in deep shock and mourning.