A 70-year-old man was killed in a house fire in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on Saturday. The victim, Rajkumar Gupta, was using a room heater in his Tatibandh home when a short circuit likely sparked the fire. Neighbors were alerted by the smoke but found themselves unable to assist as the house was locked from the outside. The Amanaka police confirmed that the fire started around 8 AM. The body has been sent for a forensic examination while investigators survey the damage.
According to the family, the son had locked the gate because his father wanted to stay warm inside and avoid the outdoor cold. The son was at work in a rolling mill, and other family members were traveling to Maihar. Tragically, the fire brigade’s arrival was delayed by over an hour, by which time the fire had fully consumed the room where the elderly man was resting. The police are continuing their investigation into the tragic circumstances of the death.