Surat, March 31 (IANS) Five members of a family, including four women and a four-year-old child, died after a fire broke out in a residential building in the Limbayat area of Surat on Tuesday morning, officials said.

The incident was reported at around 11 a.m. in the Mithi Khadi locality, where a ground-plus-two-storey house caught fire.

According to initial information, the blaze is believed to have started on the ground floor while cooking was underway, possibly due to a gas leak, and spread rapidly through the premises.

Fire brigade teams reached the spot shortly after being alerted and carried out rescue operations.

All five occupants were found unconscious inside the house and were taken to a government hospital in Surat, where doctors declared them dead.

The deceased have been identified as Shehnaz Begum Ansari (65), Husa Begum Ansari (18), Shabina Ramzan Ansari (28), Parveen Abdul Kalam Ansari (19), and Subhan Ramzan Ansari (4).

Police said the family was engaged in saree-related work from home, and a large quantity of sarees, foam sheets and other materials were stored inside the house.

These items, along with chemicals and oils used in the trade, are believed to have accelerated the spread of the fire.

Thick smoke quickly engulfed the structure, leaving the occupants with little chance to escape.

Inspector Chirag Dhokadiya said, “The fire broke out around 11 a.m. today. Five members of the family, including four women, have died. The family was involved in freelance saree work, and a large quantity of sarees was present at the spot.”

He further said that a forensic science laboratory team has been called to examine the site, and the exact cause of the fire remains uncertain.

“The bodies have been sent for postmortem, and we are awaiting the medical reports,” he said.

Officials said preliminary findings also point to the possibility of an electrical short circuit, with sparks igniting highly inflammable materials such as foam sheets used for saree packaging.

While flames spread through the stored materials, toxic smoke generated inside the confined space is suspected to have caused suffocation.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control after considerable effort, with teams from nearby fire stations responding to the emergency.

Authorities have initiated a detailed investigation to ascertain the precise cause of the incident.

–IANS

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