A total of 13 people died in separate fire incidents at houses and shops across Madhya Pradesh on the night of Diwali. In Barhi, Katni district, a fire in a three-storey house claimed the lives of six members of a single family, including a two-month-old infant.

In Chhapara of Seoni district, a fire at the residence of a jewellery merchant also resulted in the deaths of six people. Additionally, in the Nagjhiri area of Ujjain, a 107-year-old elderly person died due to suffocation after a fire broke out in shops and a house.

Preliminary investigation and local allegations

According to Seoni SP Krishna Lal Chandani, preliminary investigations suspect short-circuiting as the cause of the fire. Both major incidents are suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, and a detailed investigation is pending amid these tragedies.

Meanwhile, local residents alleged that they faced severe difficulties in saving lives because fire tenders did not arrive on time and the water pipes were faulty.