Five killed in fire at Raipur lodge

Five persons were charred to death in a blaze suspected to be triggered by a short circuit at a lodge here in wee hours today, the police said.
The blaze erupted at Tulsi lodge located at Rahmania Chowk under Golebazar police station area early today, Raipur (Urban) Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal told PTI.
"Five people were killed in the fire that broke out in wee hours," he said adding that four out of the five deceased are textile traders who had came to Raipur on some business work.
It is not yet clear if all the five men were sleeping in a single room or otherwise, and whether they tried to escape or got trapped inside.

Agrawal said prima facie short circuit caused the blaze, though the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.
The officer said fire tenders and a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team were rushed to the site after getting the information about the incident.

Ittook seven to eight hours to completely douse the flames, which had engulfed a major portion of the three-storey building, and to bring the situation under control.
Four out of the five deceased have been identified as Mumbai native Praveen Purohit, 45 and Rajasthan natives Dalpat Singh, 47, Popat Lohar, 42 and Phularam, the police officer said adding all four were associated with the textile trade. Identity of another victim is yet to be ascertained, he said.

A case has been registered and further investigation is on.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, meanwhile, expressed grief over the loss of lives in the fire and asked the concerned authorities to find out the exact cause behind the incident.
"Chief Minister Raman Singh has expressed deep grief over the death of five people in the fire incident that occurred at a hotel in Raipur. He has termed the incident as heart-wrenching," an official statement said here this evening.
The CM has ordered the police and the district administration officials to ascertain the cause of the incident, it said.
"The CM has also directed the concerned officials to keep a vigil and ensure that all hotels in the city, bus stands and markets take all the necessary precautions, especially in the ongoing summer season, to avoid such incidents so as to prevent loss of lives and property," the release said.