In brief
Three separate fire incidents during Diwali celebrations in India resulted in 18 deaths, according to Xinhua. The fires occurred in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni and Katni districts and Maharashtra’s Dharashiv district, each affecting a distinct family. Daijiworld names the victims from the Seoni household. Local police report that causes remain largely unknown.
At least 18 people were killed when three unrelated fires broke out across India on the night of Diwali, according to local police confirmed by Xinhua.
In Seoni district of central Madhya Pradesh, a massive blaze inside a three‑story house took the lives of six family members and injured four. Xinhua reports the victims were buried at a local hospital.
Another incident in Katni district, also in Madhya Pradesh, saw six people from the same family die when a fire erupted in their crockery shop located in a multi‑story building. Police have not yet identified a cause.
In southwestern Maharashtra, the third fire occurred in Dharashiv district, where six members of a home were asphyxiated as flames spread while they slept.
Daijiworld identified the Seoni victims as Kundan Lal Soni (75), his wife Rajkumari Soni (65), Ritu Soni (42), Smriti Soni (40), Surya Soni (45) and Aditya Soni (16).
Police officials say the fires’ origins remain largely undetermined and no single cause has been established.
These incidents underscore the danger of fire during the traditional festival of Diwali, when households, shops and businesses often light fireworks and candles.