Indore fire incident: How deadly mix of EV charging blast, 10 LPG cylinders and electronic locks turned building into death trap that killed 8 people

At least eight members of a family, including two minor children and three women, were killed when a fire broke out in a three-storey house after an explosion at an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging point outside the building in Indore on Wednesday. Police said that the fire may have been triggered by an explosion in an electric vehicle parked outside the residential building at Brijeshwari Annex near Bengali Square at around 4 am.

Initial inputs from the response team suggest that the fire spread quickly after a suspected explosion at the EV's charging point. “Around 10 LPG cylinders were also stored in the house, some of which exploded. We witnessed two to three explosions ourselves, which made the situation extremely critical," Police Commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh told PTI.

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Fire tenders and emergency teams rushed to the spot within minutes, but the situation quickly escalated as multiple explosions were reported between 4:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Rescue teams were forced to enter through an adjoining building, battling intense flames and thick smoke to reach those trapped inside.

A car was being charged outside the three-storey house. "There was an explosion at the charging point, and the fire in the car then engulfed the house," Police Commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh told news agency PTI.

Indore fire news

According to police, the house doors were fitted with electronic locks, making it difficult for the police to break in. Cooking gas cylinders inside the house also exploded, further intensifying the blaze.

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The building, which had three occupied floors, posed major challenges for rescue teams due to its electronic locking system. Authorities suspect that a power failure during the incident caused the locks to remain engaged, potentially trapping residents inside and complicating evacuation efforts. “It appears the occupants were unable to exit as the electronic locks did not open,” Singh said.

"Three people trapped inside the house were rescued during the fire," he said. The bodies of eight persons killed in the fire were brought to a government hospital and the post-mortem was being conducted, Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Dean Dr Arvind Ghanghoria said.

Indore fire incident

Three people were initially rescued safely, but several others remained trapped, especially in the bedrooms. Later, six individuals were pulled out in an unconscious condition and rushed to hospital, where they were declared dead. Officials confirmed that the deaths were caused by smoke inhalation.

Firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control, preventing it from spreading to nearby houses. However, the middle floor of the building suffered severe damage, with parts of the structure deemed unsafe. The house belonged to Manoj Pugalia, a polymer trader, and police suspect that, apart from an LPG cylinder, other inflammable materials may have been present inside, intensifying the fire.

State Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who visited the scene, said, "This tragic incident is alarming because the house caught fire while an EV was being charged. We have asked the police and administration to conduct a detailed investigation by a committee of experts to prevent a recurrence of this incident."

Along with the investigation into the incident, an SOP for EV charging will also be prepared, the minister said.

"In light of the rising crude oil prices due to current geopolitical developments, there is a growing interest in electric vehicles. In such a situation, the fire that occurred during the charging of an EV serves as a caution for us," he said.

The minister also expressed concern over large buildings being constructed on small plots of land in the area, and the narrowing of the road for ambulances and other vehicles due to cars parked on both sides of the main road. "I will discuss with office-bearers of the area's resident associations to resolve these problems," he added.

(With PTI and TOI inputs)