INDORE, Mar 18: Eight members of a family were killed after a fire broke out at a local businessman’s three-storey house following an explosion at an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging point outside the building in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh early on Wednesday, officials said.
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Investigators said they found clues of 10 to 11 LPG cylinders stored at the house located in Brajeshwari Annex Colony, and explosions of some of these gas containers intensified the blaze that broke out around 4 am.
The deceased included two minor children and three women, officials said, adding that three persons were rescued by breaking the grille of the building.
Alarmed by the incident, the Madhya Pradesh Government announced a detailed investigation into it by a committee of experts and the framing of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for EV charging.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured persons.
Talking to PTI, a fire department official said the fire broke out around 4 am at the house of businessman Manoj Pugalia.
“When we reached the spot, an electric car parked outside Pugalia’s house was burning, and the entire complex was engulfed in flames. As soon as we started spraying water, there was a loud explosion. Before we could react, another powerful explosion startled us,” he said.
The official said that while the fire was being brought under control, five LPG cylinders were safely removed from Pugalia’s house, and the explosions indicate that a total of 10-11 cylinders were stored in the building.
Police Commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh said that a car was being charged just outside Pugalia’s three-story house.
He said, “The charging point exploded, and the subsequent fire in the car engulfed the house. Only after a forensic investigation will it be known what caused the explosion.” (PTI)
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