Major tragedy in MP on Diwali night: 12 dead in house fires in Seoni and Katni

Seoni/Katni. For two families in Madhya Pradesh (MP), the night of Diwali turned fatal. Twelve people lost their lives in tragic circumstances following massive fires in two separate houses—one in Barhi (Katni district) and the other in Chhapara (Seoni district). Six people died in each of these incidents, and several others sustained injuries. These fire tragedies, occurring amidst the celebrations of Diwali, have cast a pall of gloom over both areas.

Katni: Fire spreads from a crockery shop to a three-story house
In the town of Barhi, located about 55 kilometers from the Katni district headquarters, a fire broke out around 11:30 PM on Diwali night at a crockery shop owned by Puran Agrawal and Ritesh Agrawal. The family’s three-story residence was situated directly above the shop. Within moments, the fire engulfed the entire building. At the time, family members were asleep inside; trapped by the flames and smoke, they were unable to escape. Six family members—including two elderly individuals, one woman, and three children—perished in the incident. One man and one woman managed to escape and survive.

Fire brought under control after five hours of effort
Upon noticing the fire, local residents began rescue efforts and alerted the fire department. Firefighting teams from Barhi, Vijayraghavgarh, Kymore, and the Katni Municipal Corporation arrived at the scene. It took approximately five hours of intense effort to bring the blaze under control; however, by then, six lives had already been lost.

Seoni: Fire at a jeweler’s house; six dead
The second incident occurred in the Jain Mohalla area of ​​Mahavir Ward in the town of Chhapara, located in Seoni district. A fire broke out suddenly at the residence of prominent bullion trader Kundan Soni here around 3:00 AM on Monday. The fire spread so rapidly that the occupants, who were asleep, had no time to react or escape. Six members of the same family lost their lives in the incident. The deceased include Kundan Lal Soni (75), Rajkumari Soni (65), Ritu Soni (42), Smriti Soni (40), Surya Soni (45), and Aditya Soni (16).

Four people rescued safely
According to Lakhnadon SDOP Apurva Bhalavi, there were 10 people in the house at the time of the incident. Six of them died, while four were rescued and taken to a hospital. Those saved include Amayra Soni (7), Ritesh Soni (45), Saurabh Soni (43), and Akarsh Soni (14). Upon receiving reports of the fire, police, fire brigade, and ambulance teams arrived at the scene. With the assistance of local residents, a rescue operation was carried out to pull out those trapped inside the house.

Diwali celebrations turn into mourning
Two major fire incidents, occurring within a few hours of each other in Katni and Seoni, have left the entire state in shock. A total of 12 deaths across these two incidents have devastated two families. The causes of the fires in both cases are currently under investigation.