Pune VIDEO: 19-Year-Old Dies After Fire Breaks Out At Hotel In Dange Chowk Near Wakad; Probe Underway

Pimpri-Chinchwad: A 19-year-old youth died after a fire broke out at a hotel on Datta Mandir Road near Dange Chowk in Wakad on Sunday night. Police suspect he died of suffocation after getting trapped inside the smoke-filled hotel.

The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Sahjad (19), a native of Uttar Pradesh. He was running the Delhi Six Biryani hotel along with his elder brother. He was rescued and taken to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

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The fire broke out at around 8 pm. After receiving information, personnel from the fire brigade and Wakad Police rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control.

According to the preliminary investigation, the hotel was rented in January this year by Mohammad Usman (38), a native of Faridabad, Haryana. The hotel was managed by Farhan and his brother, Sahjad.

Police said the incident occurred after the cooking gas cylinder became empty. An employee from the gas agency had arrived to replace it while the stove was still lit. During the installation of the new cylinder, it allegedly caught fire, triggering a massive blaze and filling the hotel with smoke.

As the fire spread, the gas agency employee reportedly ran out of the hotel, while Sahjad remained trapped inside. Police suspect he died after inhaling smoke.

Senior Police Inspector Vitthal Salunkhe of Wakad Police Station said the investigation is at a preliminary stage. Police are searching for the gas agency employee who left the spot after the incident. They are also investigating whether there was any negligence while replacing the cylinder and whether safety norms were followed.

Police said legal action will be taken against those found responsible after the investigation is completed.