Six of family killed in fire at home above grocery store in Maharashtra

Six members of a family — two teenage girls, their parents, and their grandparents — were killed after a fire broke out at their house above a grocery store in Maharashtra’s Dharashiv district in the early hours of Monday (November 9, 2026). A boy, who was brought downstairs to safety by the parents before they went back in an effort to rescue the others, was the sole survivor.

The fire broke out around 2.30 a.m. in Yedshi village at the residence of Govind Uttam Karande (47), whose family lived on the upper floor of a building housing their grocery store, said Prakash Vhatkar, an official from the Dharashiv Revenue Office.

The deceased have been identified as Uttam Trimbak Karande (75), his wife Chandrakala Uttam Karande (70), their son Govind Uttam Karande (47), his wife Jyoti Govind Karande (42), and the couple’s daughters Gayatri (16) and Siddhi (15).

Senior Police Inspector Vasudev More of Dharashiv Rural police station said a driver working for a travel company noticed the fire on the upper floor and alerted the family.

According to Mr. More, Govind and Jyoti initially managed to bring their son, Krishna, downstairs. They then returned to the upper floor to rescue the elderly couple and their two daughters, asking Krishna to fetch water in buckets.

However, the fire intensified rapidly, trapping them on the upper floor.

Mr. More said the presence of cooking oil, containers of ghee, and stacks of disposable leaf plates contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. According to the police’s preliminary assessment, Govind and Jyoti suffered severe burns, while the other four family members died from inhaling smoke and fumes. Post-mortem reports are awaited.

Local residents rushed to the scene and attempted to extinguish the blaze. Fire brigade personnel were also deployed, but the intensity of the fire made it difficult to bring the blaze under control.

According to Mr. Vhatkar, local residents said the family had been awake until around 2 a.m., celebrating Lakshmi Puja and bursting firecrackers. However, the police have not established whether the firecrackers were connected to the blaze.

The bodies of the six deceased were taken to Civil Hospital, Dharashiv, for post-mortem examination.

Mr. More said the origin and cause of the fire were still under investigation. The police have yet to record the statements of Krishna, the sole survivor, and his uncle. An accidental death report will be registered after their statements are recorded, he said.