A 93-year-old retired central government official and his 86-year-old wife died after a fire engulfed their bedroom at a two-storey house in Nimta, north Dum Dum, Kolkata, early on Thursday, police said. Investigators suspect an air-conditioner-related mechanical fault may have caused a short circuit, but the cause has not been conclusively established.
The victims were identified as Nanigopal Das and Tripti Rani Das. The couple lived alone at their home in Lichu Bagan. Their son, Subrata Das, lives with his family in Nagpur, according to the report.
The fire destroyed the couple’s first-floor bedroom and two other rooms, police said. Three fire engines were sent to the property after the blaze was reported. Firefighters broke the windowpanes to enter the house and recover the occupants.
By the time the bodies were brought out, they had been severely burnt. A neighbour raised the alarm at around 5.30am, according to Nanigopal’s nephew, Surajit Roy Chowdhury, who lives nearby. He said the family was struggling to come to terms with the deaths.
A Barrackpore Police Commissionerate officer said the preliminary investigation indicated that a short circuit may have caused the fire. Police suspect the fault could have originated in the air-conditioning system, which may have malfunctioned while the couple were asleep. The suspected cause remains subject to investigation.
Nanigopal Das was a former auditor general under the central government, the report said. The couple’s daughter had died of cancer several years ago, while their son was living outside West Bengal at the time of the incident.
Police have registered two cases of unnatural death in connection with the incident. The investigation will determine the precise source of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths.
