Five days after a devastating fire in Barhi on the night of Diwali, which claimed the lives of six people, including an infant, no action has been taken against those responsible. Outraged by this, local residents called for a ‘bandh’ in Barhi on Thursday and staged a strong protest against the administration. During the shutdown, traders voluntarily kept their establishments closed; all shops, including pharmacies and those selling essential goods, remained shut. Protesters voiced their anger demanding justice.

 

It is noteworthy that on the night of November 8, a fire broke out in a building in Barhi that served as both a crockery shop and a residence, resulting in the deaths of six members of the Agrawal family. The victims included a two-month-old infant named Arvish, two young girls, and three other family members. A tragic aspect of the incident was that the Barhi fire tender arrived an hour late, and its hosepipe was found to be ruptured; meanwhile, the fire tender from Vijayraghavgarh was also found to be in a non-functional state. Consequently, a fire that could have been brought under control in time, potentially saving six lives,could not be contained.

 

The sight of six funeral biers being carried out simultaneously, right during the festive season, has left the entire district in a state of shock. Although a magisterial inquiry is underway, the public’s patience has run out. People are now demanding that an FIR be registered against the Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) and that the Municipal Council President, Piyush Agrawal, resign from his post. Meanwhile, all six Congress corporators of the Barhi Municipal Council have submitted their resignations to the District Collector, accepting moral responsibility for the tragedy.