PUNE: Six persons were charred to death in a fire at a bakery here on Friday, officials said.
The police have detained three persons believed to be the proprietors of the bakery located at Kondhwa. Fire brigade officials suspect that the fire, caused by a short circuit, broke out at 4.30 a.m.
"We received a call at 4.45 a.m. Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Smoke billowed out of the shutter," said an official. As fire-fighters tried to break the lock, the owner arrived and opened the shutter. He told the fire-fighters that workers were sleeping on the mezzanine floor. Then, the fire-fighters climbed up and recovered the bodies.
All of the victims hailed from Uttar Pradesh, the police said. The deceased have been identified as Irshad Khan, 26; Shanu Ansari, 22; Zakim and Fahim Ansari, 24; Junaid Ansari, 25; and Nishan Ansari, 29.
"The owner had locked up his shop from outside, so the employees could not rush out when the fire broke out," Pune Mayor Prashant Jagtap said. A case has been registered at the Kondhwa police station. The Pune Municipal Corporation has ordered a probe to find out the cause.