Indore: EV charging point blast triggers house fire, kills seven

At least seven people have died after a massive fire engulfed a three-storey house in Indore early on Wednesday (March 18), officials said. The blaze was triggered by an explosion at an electric car charging point outside the house and intensified after cooking gas cylinders inside also exploded.

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The fire erupted at the house located in Brajeshwari Annex Colony between 3.30 am and 4.30 am, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kundan Mandloi told PTI. A child was reported missing following the incident and was being searched, the ACP added.

EV charging blast

Police Commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh said a car was being charged outside the three-storey house. "There was an explosion at the charging point, and the subsequent fire in the car engulfed the house," he said.

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The house doors were fitted with electronic locks, making it difficult for the police to break in, the official said. Cooking gas cylinders inside the house also exploded, which further intensified the fire, the police commissioner said.

"Three people trapped inside the house during the fire were rescued," he said.

Rescue operation

Nearly 10 people were reported to be inside the house at the time of the fire, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Amarendra Singh said.

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Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Dean Dr Arvind Ghanghoria said the bodies of the seven persons killed in the fire were brought to a government hospital.

"Two people rescued during the fire were also brought to the hospital. After receiving first aid, they expressed their desire to be treated at another hospital and were discharged," he said.

(With agency inputs)