Elderly couple dies tragically in house fire in UP's Hathras

A tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district, where an elderly couple lost their lives in a house fire. The accident took place in Mohalla Kahran, located within the jurisdiction of Sadbad police station.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the deceased have been identified as 65-year-old Sahjad and his 62-year-old wife, Salma. The incident occurred at 2:00 am while the couple was asleep in the house. The fire spread so rapidly that they were unable to escape.

Hathras Superintendent of Police (SP) Chiranjiv Nath Sinha stated that the couple was alone in the house when the incident occurred. A clothing shop was also located in this house. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire was caused by a short circuit. Additionally, the fire became more intense due to the stock of clothing kept in view of the Diwali festival.

Neighbours observed flames and thick smoke emanating from the house, after which they immediately informed the police and the fire brigade. Fire tenders were called with the cooperation of local residents and the police, and a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) also joined the operation. The fire was brought under control after nearly two hours of efforts by firefighters.

The deceased couple lived with the family of one of their four sons, but the other sons were not present when the tragedy occurred. The couple was alone in the house and were unable to get out as the fire spread. A police official stated that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem and legal formalities.