A devastating fire claimed the life of 70-year-old Rajkumar Gupta in Raipur’s Tatibandh area on Saturday morning. The blaze is believed to have been triggered by a room heater used to combat the winter cold. Because the main entrance was locked, neighbors could only watch helplessly as smoke engulfed the building. By the time emergency services managed to enter the residence, Mr. Gupta had passed away. The police have launched an inquiry into the incident to confirm the sequence of events and the cause of the fire.
Jitendra Gupta, the victim’s son, stated that he had locked the gate at his father’s behest before heading to work in Urla. He mentioned that his father did not want to go out in the cold. With the rest of the family away on a pilgrimage, the elderly man was left defenseless when the fire broke out around 8 AM. The incident has raised concerns regarding fire safety and the response time of emergency services, as the fire brigade reportedly took 90 minutes to reach the site.