KATHUA, Dec 18 – Six people, including two children, died of suffocation and four others were hospitalized after a fire broke out early Wednesday morning in a house in Shivanagar, Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The incident occurred between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. in the residence of a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). Nine members of the family were asleep when a short circuit reportedly caused the fire, engulfing the house in smoke.
Authorities identified the deceased as Ganga Bhagat (17) and Danish Bhagat (15), children of Bharat Bushan from Shahidi Chowk, Kathua; Avtar Krishan (81) of Ward No. 16, Shivanagar; Barkha Raina (25), daughter of Avtar Krishan from Shivanagar; Takash Raina (3), son of Avtar Krishan; and Advik Raina (4), son of Sandeep Kaul from Jagti Nagrota, Jammu.
The injured include Swarna Devi (61), wife of Avtar Krishan; Neetu Devi (40), wife of Bharat Bushan; Arun Kumar (15), son of Sain Chand from Batote Ramban; and Kewal Krishan (69), son of Mansa Ram from Shivanagar.
The injured were transported to Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Kathua for treatment.
Speaking to The Chenab Times, Kewal Krishan, a neighbor who attempted to help, recounted the chaotic scene: “I saw a woman shouting to save the children who were sleeping inside. I tried to enter the smoke-filled room, but the suffocation was unbearable, and I couldn’t reach them despite multiple attempts.”
Another neighbor described taking five unconscious victims to the hospital in his vehicle, saying, “They had no burn injuries but succumbed to suffocation from the thick smoke.”
The house, located in a densely populated residential area, sustained significant damage, though flames were reportedly contained by the time rescuers arrived.
Police and fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire, which preliminary reports attribute to a short circuit. However, some have described the circumstances as suspicious, given the intensity of the smoke.
Local authorities have assured the public of a thorough investigation and have urged residents to take precautions against electrical faults, especially in the winter season when heaters and other appliances are commonly in use.
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