Two persons died due to suffocation after a fire broke out at a godown (warehouse) on the first floor of the Jai Kamal Complex near Gandhi Gate in Mahal on Saturday night. The fire reportedly started during welding work at the godown. The deceased have been identified as Girish Murlidhar Khatri (35) and Vitthal Dhote (25) and injured person is - Gunwant Dinkar Nagpurkar (28). The Jai Kamal Complex is a four-storey building located in a crowded area. There are several shops on the ground floor that sell wedding lighting and firecrackers. The godowns for these shops are located above, on the first floor.

 

The shops, NK Light House and RK Light House, operate from the ground floor. The fire broke out while welding work was on at the godown of NK Light House. A spark from the welding work may have ignited the fire. Due to the presence of highly flammable materials like firecrackers and decorative items, the fire spread quickly throughout the area. Girish Khatri, the owner of NK Light House and his worker, Vitthal, died on the spot due to suffocation caused by the thick smoke. The welder Gunwant fell unconscious in the incident, was taken to Mayo hospital and is said to be in critical condition.

 

A local resident said that they noticed smoke coming from the building and immediately informed the Police and Fire Department. Firefighters arrived at the spot and started rescue operation. Many residents were trapped inside the building and were rescued after several efforts. Later, Girish, Vitthal and the welder were found and taken to the hospital. Doctors declared Girish and Vitthal dead on arrival. Following the incident, police asked all residents to vacate the building for the night as a safety measure. Some residents alleged that they had previously complained to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) about the presence of firecracker and lighting shops in the residential building, but no action was taken. An official of NMC said that the cause of fire is under investigation.