Bhubaneswar, March 19 (IANS) As many as 416 persons lost their lives due to fire accidents across Odisha during the last three years, informed Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari through a written reply in the state assembly on Thursday.

Data reveals that 192 people lost their lives in fire accidents across Odisha in 2022-23. The toll gradually declined in the following years, with 118 fatalities in 2023-24 and 106 in 2024-25, indicating a slow but steady improvement in fire-related fatalities.

Apart from the loss of lives, the data shared in the assembly also revealed properties worth Rs 27.84 crore have been damaged in fire accidents across the state over the last three years.

The R&D minister also revealed in the assembly that 6578 persons have lost their lives in the state during the last two years, 2023-24 and 2024-25, due to natural hazards such as snakebite, lightning, and drowning.

The state Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Suresh Pujari, revealed the information in the Odisha Assembly in a written reply on Thursday.

According to the information, the state recorded deaths of 2006 persons due to drowning in various local bodies across the state during 2023-24. The drowning-related deaths marginally decreased to 1854 in the 2024-25 financial year.

Drowning continued to be the leading cause of disaster-related deaths in Odisha, even as fatalities due to lightning saw a rise in 2024–25, according to the official data.

Deaths due to lightning in various parts of Odisha increased from 286 in 2023-24 to 314 during 2024-25. Additionally, snakebite deaths also showed a significant decline in the state, dropping from 1,147 in 2023–24 to 971 in 2024–25, the data revealed.

Odisha has consistently ranked among the Indian states with the highest number of fatalities caused by snakebites, highlighting a persistent public health and safety concern.

Answering to another query, Pujari in his written reply revealed that as many as 1336 persons have died due to lightning during the last 5 years.

–IANS

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