Diwali diya ignites fire: couple, maid burn to death in Kanpur

Kanpur: In Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, a Diwali lamp ignited a fire to claim the lives of a businessman, his wife, and their maid on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Sanjay Shyam Dasani (48), his wife Kanika Dasani (42), and their maid, Chhabi Chauhan (24).

According to Free Press Journal, the Dasani family is well-known for their food business, Ambaji Foods. They lived in a three-story house in Pandu Nagar here.

It is learned that the presence of extensive wooden interiors fuelled the fire, and an automatic door, which shut due to the heat from the fire, trapped the victims inside the house.

They had performed a traditional puja before dinner on Diwali night and went to bed, leaving a diya burning in the prayer area.

The Dasanis’ son, Harsh Dasani, was out celebrating Diwali with his friends during the mishap. When he returned late in the night, he noticed smoke coming out of the house and alerted fire and rescue. He also alerted his neighbours but couldn’t save his parents, who were trapped inside the house. Their maid lost her life trying to save the trapped couple, it is learned.

According to fire officials, the fire spread rapidly from the diya to the bedroom and balcony due to the woodwork inside. The forensic team said after a preliminary investigation that the speed and intensity of the fire, along with the locked automatic door, trapped the victims.