Elderly man dies in fire at house and hardware shop at Ujjain's Nagjhiri Chauraha

A fire broke out on Sunday night in a house and the hardware shop adjoining it at Nagjhiri Chauraha in Ujjain, opposite a soybean plant. An elderly man died in the incident. He had been burnt in the blaze and died during treatment.

It was feared that people were inside the house when the fire started. Word then came that an elderly man was trapped inside. Police personnel and local residents, risking their lives, got him out safely after considerable effort.

After he was brought out, he was taken to Charak Hospital for primary treatment in a 108 ambulance that had reached the spot. He breathed his last during treatment.

Goods worth lakhs of rupees kept in the shop were burnt to ashes. On receiving information, administration officials including the Collector, police and the municipal corporation's fire brigade team reached the spot. More than six fire tenders have been deployed to bring the fire under control.

Efforts to douse the fire inside the house continued even after the elderly man was sent to hospital, and the situation was kept under watch.

Given the severity of the fire, power supply to the entire area was switched off as a precaution. A large crowd gathered at the spot. The cause of the fire is not yet clear.