Six Family Members Killed in Massive Fire at Goldsmith's House in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni

Six people died in a massive fire that engulfed a three-storey building in Madhya Pradesh, turning a festive period into a scene of mourning.

The blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Monday, claimed the lives of several family members across two separate incidents in the state.

In Seoni district, a fire erupted at the residence of a goldsmith in Chhapara town, according to The Times of India. The blaze occurred between 4:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., a day after Diwali celebrations, near a Jain temple in Mahavir Ward.

The victims in the Seoni incident included 75-year-old Kundan Lal Soni, his wife Rajkumari Soni, 65, Ritu Soni, 42, Smriti Soni, 40, Surya Soni, 45, and 16-year-old Aditya Soni, Rediff reported. Ten people were inside the house when the fire started, but only four were successfully evacuated, according to sub-divisional officer of police Apoorva Bhalavi.

A separate, equally devastating fire occurred in the Katni district, according to ANI. This fire hit a building in the Barhi area that housed both a plastic goods wholesale shop on the ground floor and a residence on the upper floor.

Location	Reported Deaths	Reported Survivors/Injured	Primary Source
Seoni (Chhapara)	6	4 evacuated	The Times of India
Katni (Barhi)	6	2 escaped safely	ANI

While the exact cause of the fire in Seoni remains unknown, officials in Katni and Chhatarpur have noted the risks associated with the festive season. The News Mill reported that at least 35 people sustained burn injuries from firecracker incidents in Chhatarpur during the holiday.

The scale of these incidents follows a directive from Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. On November 5, the Chief Minister held a virtual meeting with Collectors and Superintendents of Police to ensure law and order during Diwali, specifically instructing officials to prevent the use of banned firecrackers and other hazardous materials, The News Mill reported.

“On the night of Diwali, a tragic incident occurred,” Tiwari said, as reported by ANI.