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At least five people died and 64 were injured in a fire in a Durga Puja Pandal on Sunday evening. Three children and two women have died in the incident that occurred in Bhadoi city of Uttar Pradesh in India.
A case has been registered against Baccha Yadav, president of the Durga Puja Organising Committee, IndiaToday reports citing Bhadoi Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar.
Cases were also registered against many other unidentified members of the committee.
Overheating of a halogen light caused the fire, news agency PTI quoted District Magistrate Gaurang Rathi as saying. The pandal was reduced to ashes.
“A halogen light at the pandal overheated, following which an electric wire caught fire at multiple points simultaneously. Soon the fire engulfed the wooden scaffolding and the tent,” he said.
An official of the fire department said that the incident occurred around 9:30pm. Around 300 people were inside the Pandal at the time of the incident which occurred during the aarti ritual on the seventh day of the Navratri festival.
Most of them were watching a digital show. Firefighters rushed to the spot and rescued the injured. Prima facie, an electric short circuit is believed to be the cause of fire, IndiaToday reports.
The injured also hail from Bhadoi and are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
Doctors said five of them are in critical condition, Indian Express reports.
“All the injured have been identified, and the district administration and police have their list. The majority of the people inside the pandal were women and children,” Livemint reports citing Gaurang Rathi.
Of the five deceased in the Durga Puja pandal fire, three people - one Jai Devi and her two grandchildren- belonged to the same family, which has left the family in a state of shock, news agency ANI reported.
