Overview
- Six members of a family died in a crockery-shop blaze in Katni and six died in a separate Seoni house fire, bringing the confirmed Madhya Pradesh toll to 12 and raising the national death total to 16 after four people were killed in an LPG-linked house fire in Jajpur, Odisha.
- Officials said the Katni blaze began when an earthen oil lamp was left near a coffee machine, while other fires are being probed for short circuits, LPG accidents or stray firecracker sparks.
- Firefighters carried out major rescue operations including the evacuation of about 50 people from a 17-storey Thane high-rise and multi-hour clearances at large Mumbai and Hyderabad blazes, with most incidents producing no immediate casualties.
- Relatives and local reports have alleged delayed responses and faulty equipment, with several sources saying the first Katni fire engine arrived late and had a damaged hose, prompting formal inquiries by authorities.
- States reported hundreds of festival injuries and wide property losses — for example, Tamil Nadu recorded 679 firecracker-related injuries — and officials warned that dense mixed-use buildings, stored flammables and narrow lanes increase festival fire risk.