Family of four dies in fire, hours before travelling for son’s engagement in Gujarat

Fire officials said that while the cause is yet unknown, it appears that an upholstered sofa in the basement caught fire, which then engulfed the entire house

The victims — jeweller Kamal Doshi, his wife Deval, and their sons Dev and Raj — were found inside their Bamroli Road residence. (Express Photo)

A family of four in Godhra, Panchmahal district, died in a house fire early Friday, hours before they were to leave for Vapi for the engagement of one of the sons, Dev. The victims — jeweller Kamal Doshi, his wife Deval, and their sons Dev and Raj — were found inside their Bamroli Road residence by the fire and emergency services.

According to officials, the fire is suspected to have started in the early hours when the family was asleep. Fire officials said that while the cause is yet unknown, it appears that an upholstered sofa in the basement caught fire, which then engulfed the entire house, filling it with smoke.

Fire officer Mukesh Ahir said, “The windows and doors were closed and the smoke filled in the entire house. The four members, who may have been in their sleep, did not get a chance to escape and probably died due to smoke inhalation.”

Neighbours had called fire personnel, who broke open glass windows to release the smoke and found the bodies on the upper floors, covered in soot. Police and forensic teams reached the spot soon after, and the bodies — of Doshi (50), Deval (45), Dev (24) and Raj (22) — were sent for postmortem. Police said a case of accidental death has been registered and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Doshi was the owner of Vardhaman Jewellers in Godhra.

A relative told The Indian Express, “We cannot believe this has happened. We hope it is a nightmare we wake up from. We were to travel to Vapi… Our entire family is devastated and in deep shock.”

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram