Indore fire incident raises questions over delay:Eyewitnesses say fire brigade took an hour to cover 5 km; flames spread to 2nd floor

A devastating fire in Indore has left eight people dead, including a businessman and his pregnant daughter-in-law, triggering serious questions over the response time of the fire brigade and overall safety infrastructure.
The incident occurred early Wednesday morning in a house located in Greater Brijeshwari Colony near Bengali Square. Among the deceased was rubber trader Manoj Pugalia and his family members. Eyewitnesses allege delay in fire response Residents and eyewitnesses claim that the fire brigade reached the spot nearly an hour after being informed, despite the nearest fire station being just 5 kilometers away.
They argue that the delay proved fatal, allowing the fire to spread from the ground floor to the second floor, trapping people inside. Fire Department claims swift action Contradicting these allegations, officials at the fire control room stated that the first call was received at 4:01 AM. A fire engine was dispatched within a minute and reached the spot by 4:19 AM—indicating a response time of just 17 minutes.
However, the caller, Kalash Jain, claims he made the first call at 3:55 AM—six minutes before the official log entry—and insists that the first fire vehicle arrived at least 30 minutes later. How the fire started According to eyewitness Abhishek, the fire began around 3:30 AM when a car parked at the house was on charge. Smoke was first noticed coming from the bonnet, which quickly escalated into a major blaze within minutes.
Residents tried to alert others and called the fire brigade, but the flames rapidly spread upwards. Flames reached second floor in an hour Within an hour, the fire engulfed the second floor, where several people were sleeping. By the time rescue efforts intensified, many were trapped inside, leading to multiple fatalities. Narrow lanes and ‘Digital lock’ tragedy The investigation also highlighted critical infrastructural challenges: Golden hour lost? The distance between the Gandhi Hall fire station and the incident site is approximately 5 kilometers. While officials claim it was covered in 17 minutes, eyewitness accounts suggest calls were being made as early as 3:30 AM.
This discrepancy raises critical questions about whether there was a delay in receiving or responding to emergency calls—an issue now under scrutiny. Explosion may have intensified fire Preliminary findings suggest that a gas cylinder explosion inside the house may have significantly intensified the fire, making the situation uncontrollable within minutes. Unanswered questions remain The tragedy has sparked widespread concern over safety standards in Indore. Key questions remain unanswered:
If the fire brigade responded in time, why do residents claim otherwise? If residents are correct, why does the control room log show a different timeline? Could these eight lives have been saved with a quicker response? A family devastated Among the victims were six relatives who had come from Kishanganj to celebrate with the family. Simran, the pregnant daughter-in-law, who was looking forward to her child, could not escape the deadly blaze.
The incident has left the city grappling with grief—and demanding accountability.