Daijiworld Media Network – Ahilyanagar

Ahilyanagar, Aug 19: Tragedy struck Nevasa in Ahilyanagar district on Monday as five members of a family, including two children, lost their lives to suffocation after a massive fire broke out in their furniture store-cum-godown.

The deceased have been identified as Mayur Rasne (37), his grandmother Sindubai (85), wife Payal (35), and children Ansh (10) and Chaitanya (7). Rasne’s 25-year-old cousin sustained serious burn injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

According to officials, the family lived on the second floor of the property, while the ground floor housed the godown. The fire, suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit, erupted around 1 am and rapidly spread, filling the entire premises with thick smoke.

Tehsildar Sanjay Biradar said the entry and exit to Rasne’s residence was through the godown, which had no windows for ventilation. “Once the fire started, the smoke had only one way to escape — into the family’s living space. They had no chance of survival,” he explained.

Inspector Mahesh Patil added that the presence of plastic and electronic items inside the godown intensified the blaze. The stairway leading to the family’s residence was at the rear, which made escape impossible as smoke engulfed the house.

Fire brigade and police teams rushed to the spot after being alerted, but by the time the victims were rescued and taken to hospital around 3 am, doctors declared them dead. The gutted godown was completely destroyed, though the adjoining store remained untouched.

Police have registered a case of accidental death and further investigation is underway.