Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) : Seven family members including two children died of suffocation after a fire broke out at a tailoring shop in in Cantonment area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra early Wednesday morning.
The blaze erupted at around 4 am in the shop located at Dana Bazar in Cantonment area. The tailoring shop and other commercial establishments were located on the ground floor of a building while people were residing on the upper floor, the official said. Firefighters rushed to the scene and managed to extinguish the flames, but seven people had died in the fire by then.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire. Post-mortem examinations have been ordered for the victims. The deceased included three women, two men and two children, he said. The exact cause of the fire would be known after an inquiry, he added.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Police Commissioner Manoj Lohia said, "The fire which razed in at 4 am in the morning was doused before it could engulf the second floor. Our investigation reveals seven people died of suffocation. The cause of the fire, which is yet to be ascertained, will be revealed after investigation."
The deceased have been identified as Asim Wasim Sheikh (3 ), Pari Wasim Sheikh (2), Wasim Sheikh (30 ), Tanveer Wasim (23), Hamida Begum (50), Sheikh Sohail 35, Reshma Sheikh (22 ).
Sachin Dubey, an eyewitness, said, "There was an explosion at 3:30 am. It might have been due to the charger of his electric vehicle. The fire engulfed quickly at the tailoring store. The tenants did not hear the fire because of the cooler. The shop was on the ground floor and the owner lived on the first floor. The second and third floors were occupied by the owners." Former MP Chandrakant Khaire, who reached the spot, condoled the death.
