Man dies after hotel room catches fire in Pune

A 32-year-old man was found dead in a Pune hotel room after a fire broke out, possibly caused by a lit cigarette.

Police suspect suffocation as the cause of death and have launched an investigation.

A man was found dead at a room in Hotel Orient in Somwar Peth area of Pune city, after it caught fire, on Friday afternoon. Police said the deceased was identified as Mohit Bhupendra Shah (32), resident of Daund in Pune district.

Shah booked a room at the hotel on Thursday night. He went to sleep at the hotel, but did not open the room on Friday morning. Around 12 noon, the hotel staff observed smoke coming from the room.

Soon, the police and fire brigade were informed. A team of Samartha police station and the Pune Fire Brigade rushed to the spot.

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“Before we reached the hotel, the staffers had doused the flames. A person identified as Mohit Shah was found unconscious inside the room. He was taken to the Sassoon hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead,” said fire officer Prashant Gaikar.

Senior police inspector Umesh Gitte of Samarth police station said, “A prima-facie probe has revealed that the deceased was an alcoholic. We suspect that the fire was caused by the cigarette that the deceased had lit in the hotel room under the influence of alcohol. One of the beds in the hotel room got burnt, causing lots of smoke due to which the deceased may have suffocated. He received burn injuries on one of his hands, but we suspect he died due to suffocation…. As per the procedure, an accidental death report has been registered and further investigation is on.

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