An elderly couple died after a massive fire broke out in their house in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, officials said. The incident occurred in Mohalla Kaharan, within the jurisdiction of the Sadabad Kotwali police station in Hathras.

Source: IANS via BizzBuzz

The deceased have been identified as Shahzad, 70, and his wife Salma Begum, 68. Hathras Chief Fire Officer R. K. Bajpai told IANS that the fire service received information at approximately 1:49 a.m. that a house in the Sadabad area had caught fire, with concerns that people might be trapped inside. Police have recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examination.

Source: IANS via BizzBuzz

2Deaths — Shahzad, 70, and Salma Begum, 68
1:49 a.m.Time the fire service received the alert, per CFO R. K. Bajpai
Sadabad, HathrasMohalla Kaharan, Sadabad Kotwali police station area
Short circuitPrima facie suspected cause, per the Chief Fire Officer

Deaths by suffocation, fire officer says

Chief Fire Officer Bajpai said the couple did not come into direct contact with the fire and that their deaths were caused by suffocation. He said that, prima facie, the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit, and that it initially spread on the lower level of the house before engulfing the upper portion. Hindustan Times also reported the deaths of the elderly couple in the Hathras house fire, with a short circuit suspected. The exact cause will be established by the investigation.

Source: Hindustan Times via MyPressToday

What happens next

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination and police are investigating the cause of the fire. Officials say the short-circuit suspicion is preliminary and will be confirmed only after the inquiry.