Eight killed in Indore blaze, survivor casts doubt on electric car cause

Autopsy reports have confirmed that all eight victims of last week’s devastating fire at a three-storey house in Indore died due to a combination of severe burn injuries and suffocation , police said on Monday, even as a lone survivor raised questions over the suspected cause of the blaze.

The fire broke out around 4 am on March 18 at the residence of businessman Manoj Pugalia in the Brajeshwari Annex Colony . The incident claimed the lives of Pugalia, his daughter-in-law Simran , and six other close relatives, including two children , leaving an entire family shattered.

According to police, preliminary findings suggested that the fire originated from an electric car parked outside the house , allegedly after an explosion at its charging point, before rapidly engulfing the building. However, this version has now been called into question by the lone survivor , who reportedly stated that no vehicle was plugged in for charging at the time of the incident .

Addressing the cause of death, Tilak Nagar police station in-charge Manish Lodha said, “The postmortem reports of all eight victims have been received. The findings clearly indicate that the deaths were caused by a combination of burn injuries and suffocation.”

In the aftermath of the tragedy, relatives of the deceased had alleged negligence in the rescue operation and expressed suspicion that an electric current may have spread through the house . Police have dismissed this claim , citing the autopsy findings which did not indicate electrocution.

The condition of some victims underscored the intensity of the blaze. Officials said a six-year-old boy suffered extremely severe burns , with body parts found in a mutilated state . Authorities have stated that DNA testing may be conducted if required to establish identification conclusively.

With conflicting accounts emerging particularly regarding the presence of an electric vehicle charging at the time questions remain over the exact cause of the fire , and further investigation is likely to focus on reconciling these discrepancies.