Belagavi: Fire accident toll rises to six

The death toll in the fire accident in Belagavi has increased to six, with two family members succumbing to severe burn injuries on Wednesday. Police Commissioner Prakash Nikam confirmed that Gajanan Rajaram Damone, aged 60, and his son Roshan Gajanan passed away at a private hospital in the city. The remaining victims, Sharada, Bharati, Priya, and Ganga, lost their lives at the scene.

A team of Scene of Crime officers and the mobile Forensic Science Laboratory visited the site to collect evidence samples. Investigations into the cause of the fire have commenced, with the authorities awaiting the report from the forensic lab to determine the exact reason.

The police suspect that a refrigerator sparked the fire when a high-voltage current passed through the wire connected to it. All six family members were trapped inside a tin-sheet house and were unable to escape in time. Sanjay Narayan Damone, Gajanan's nephew, provided investigators with crucial information about the incident. He revealed that Gajanan was a painter who stored paints and chemicals in his one-room tin-sheet house.

According to Sanjay Damone, the fire broke out around 2 a.m. as the family members were asleep. "We heard our relatives screaming and rushed to help them. However, we could only rescue two individuals before the fire engulfed the house," he told investigators.