A devastating fire linked to an LPG cylinder leakage has resulted in the tragic deaths of seven family members in Ghaziabad’s Defence Colony, authorities confirmed on Monday. The incident, which occurred a week ago, initially claimed the lives of a 36-year-old woman and her two daughters. Sadly, her husband and son succumbed to their burn injuries during treatment later.
The victims were identified as Nathu Ram (55), his son-in-law Sonu Kumar (35), and his brother-in-law Mukesh Kumar (40), along with Mukesh’s wife Bhagmati Devi (36) and their three children—Ankit Kumar (17), Himani (18), and Priyanka (16).
Assistant Commissioner of Police Siddharth Gautam from Shalimar Garden described the sequence of events, stating that the fire erupted while Bhagmati Devi was preparing lunch and inadvertently ignited the gas, which had leaked and spread in the house. This led to severe burn injuries for all seven individuals present.
Despite prompt response from the fire department, which dispatched teams immediately upon receiving the distress call at 12:07 pm, and effectively controlled the fire within minutes, the injuries sustained were critical. Tragically, Bhagmati Devi and her daughters Himani and Priyanka succumbed to their injuries at GTB hospital in Delhi shortly after the incident.
The casualties continued to mount as Mukesh and his son Ankit also lost their lives during treatment at the hospital. Mukesh suffered extensive burns covering 60-70% of his body and passed away on Sunday, while Ankit, with burns ranging from 70-80%, succumbed on Monday.
Officials from the fire department conducted an inspection of the site and confirmed the cause of the fire as a leakage in the LPG cylinder, a common household hazard. They noted an increase in fire incidents in Ghaziabad during the summer season, reporting a total of 737 incidents between January and May 31 this year, compared to 504 during the same period in 2023.
The tragic incident has deeply affected the community in Defence Colony, highlighting the importance of fire safety measures and vigilance in handling gas appliances to prevent such devastating accidents in the future.