Overview

• The blaze erupted Wednesday morning at the Chopra family’s multi-storey residence near Bharat Nagar Chowk in Ludhiana, which housed a hosiery thread unit on the ground floor.
• Owner and police accounts indicate the fire began in stored thread that ignited quickly, with locals attempting to douse the flames before firefighters arrived.
• The victims were identified by police as Sudha Rani, in her late seventies, and her grandson Garv Chopra, 17, though some reports differ on the names and ages.
• Fire officials evacuated neighboring homes and rescued other family members as crews worked to bring the flames under control.
• Investigators are examining a suspected short circuit as the cause and will assess whether the cottage operation complied with required permits.