Former DSP, His Grandson Among 6 Dead As Fire Erupts Inside House In Jammu Kashmir's Kathua

A fire broke out inside a house in the Shiv Nagar area of the district, filling it with thick smoke while its occupants were sleeping.

Jammu: A former DSP and his three-year-old grandson were among six people who suffocated to death when their rented accommodation caught fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district early on Wednesday.

Four other people who were in the house were rescued and are undergoing treatment in a hospital. The fire broke out inside a house in the Shiv Nagar area of the district, filling it with thick smoke while its occupants were sleeping.

Officials said that locals noticed the fire around 2.30 am and rushed to the house. The victims were shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kathua, where six, including two minors, were declared dead, they said.

“Ten people were brought to the hospital. Six of them were dead, and four others were unconscious,” a senior doctor at the hospital said. Preliminary investigations suggest the victims died by suffocation after inhaling the smoke, the doctor said, adding that no burn injuries were reported.

Rocky Sharma, a student, said he was studying late at night when he noticed the fire and rushed to the house along with others. "The fire had engulfed the drawing room, and the smoke that seeped into other rooms resulted in the deaths," he said.

The deceased were identified as 81-year-old former deputy SP Avtar Krishen Raina, his daughter Barkha Raina (25), grandson Takash (3), 17-year-old Ganga Bhagat, 15-year-old Danish Bhagat and 6-year-old Advik, a police officer said. The other four Swarna (61), Neetu Davi (40), Arun Kumar (15) and Kewal Krishan (69) were rushed to Kathua Government Medical College.

Kathua GMC Principal SK Atri said that the cause of death is prima facie suffocation from the smoke. "A fire broke out in a rented house of a retired assistant matron. Out of 10 people, 6 were brought dead and 4 of them were injured. Prima facie it seems like the cause of the death is suffocation. The police are investigating the matter. Bodies will be released after the post-mortem," he said.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The bodies were kept in Kathua GMC mortuary, the officials said. Visuals from the site showed household items damaged and the house covered in black ash. The police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the matter. (Agency inputs)

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