Six members of a cloth merchant’s family, including five children, tragically lost their lives in a fire that engulfed their two-story residence in the Lisari Gate area of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The incident, which also left an elderly woman and a neighbor with severe burn injuries, occurred in Gali No. 1, Kidwai Nagar, near Surahi Wali Masjid. Cloth merchant Iqbal, also known as Asim, was away offering prayers at a nearby mosque with his brother Farukh when the fire erupted, leaving behind his wife, mother, and their five children.
The fire reportedly started while the children were playing and the women were cooking. Alerted by neighbors who saw smoke and flames, authorities were immediately notified as rescue efforts began. Due to narrow lanes hindering the fire engines’ access, firefighters and locals used ladders to reach the trapped individuals through adjoining rooftops. It took nearly 30 minutes to extricate the victims from the burning house.
Upon being rushed to a nearby hospital, Rukhsar and the five children were pronounced dead, while Ameer Bano remains in critical condition with severe burns. A neighbor sustained injuries during the rescue operation. The police and fire brigade teams, despite facing challenges in reaching the site, acted promptly by entering through rooftops due to accessibility issues. The presence of a significant amount of stored cloth inside the house likely contributed to the intensity of the blaze, which was eventually brought under control after approximately two hours.
Farooq, a relative of the deceased, mentioned that the family had been self-sufficient and declined external assistance, preferring to manage everything on their own. An investigation has been initiated to determine the precise cause of the fire that led to this tragic loss of lives.
