Indore Man Refutes Police Claims Of EV Charging Blast After Fire Kills 8 Of Family

A survivor of the Indore house fire, in which eight members of a family were killed, said on Thursday the blaze was not caused by charging of an electric vehicle (EV), his contention contrary to police claims that the tragedy was triggered by the explosion of a charging point.

The fire broke out early Wednesday at businessman Manoj Pugalia's house in Brajeshwari Annexe Colony, killing Pugalia, his daughter-in-law Simran and six other relatives, including two children. Pugalia's son Saurabh was also present but managed to escape along with three other family members.

Earlier, police had said an explosion at the charging point of a car parked outside the house triggered the blaze, which later engulfed the entire structure.

Speaking to reporters, survivor Saurabh Pugalia said, "EV charging point is not responsible for the fire. We charge the car daily. But that day, we had not connected it to the charging point. When no charger was connected, it is unclear how a fire or short circuit could occur at the charging point." He said videos circulating on Instagram showed a blast at the electric pole outside the house with sparks falling.

Saurabh also denied police claims that electronic locks on the house doors delayed entry after power supply was cut, forcing personnel to break in.

"It is wrong to say my house has electronic locks. There is no such lock. The house remains open and anyone can verify this," Saurabh said while alleging delay in rescue operations.

"The timely arrival of fire tenders and ambulances could have saved eight lives," Saurabh claimed.

A probe into the entire incident has been ordered by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)