Woman, 75, dies in fire at building behind Dnyaneshwar temple in Alandi

Pune, November 11, 2026: A fire broke out on Monday evening in a three-storey building behind the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple in Alandi. A 75-year-old woman died in the incident, while another elderly woman was rescued. Two fire incidents were recorded in the town on Diwali day.

The woman who died has been identified as Shakuntala Inderkumar Dhadiwal. The woman who was rescued is Sarla Sumatilal Lodha. The fire broke out between about 7.30 pm and 7.45 pm. The building adjoins the Jain Sthanak temple and stands south of the darshan mandap of the Sant Dnyaneshwar temple.

According to officials, a large quantity of cardboard was stored on the first floor of the building, which made the smoke spread quickly. The building had few windows and doors, which made the rescue difficult. Two families lived in the building.

Dhadiwal had suffered severe burns. She was first taken to the rural hospital in Alandi and later sent to YCM Hospital in Pimpri, where she died. Firefighters from the Alandi Municipal Council and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation fought for more than two hours to bring the fire under control.

The road leading to the building was narrow, so the fire engine had to be parked some distance away. Local volunteers of the Shivtej Mitra Mandal also helped with the rescue and firefighting.

The second fire broke out between about 1 am and 1.30 am. It started in a room on the first floor of the pilgrims' lodging of the Sant Jalaram Bapa temple on the Alandi-Markal road. No one was hurt, but some household belongings were burnt.

The exact cause of both fires is not yet known. However, the fire in the building behind the Sant Dnyaneshwar temple is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit.

Sandeep Patil, junior engineer of Mahavitaran in Alandi, said the preliminary inspection points to a possible short circuit, as the insulation on the electrical wires had burnt while the wires themselves were intact. He said only further investigation would reveal the actual cause.