Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A house in the Waluj area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was gutted after a refrigerator allegedly exploded and triggered a fire on Saturday afternoon. While no casualties were reported, household belongings worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed in the blaze.
According to officials, Shivaji Suresh Kakade, his wife and their six-year-old daughter had locked the house and gone out when the incident occurred at around 1.30 pm in Swastik Society. Preliminary information suggests that the refrigerator allegedly exploded, causing the fire to spread rapidly through the house. Thick smoke and flames soon engulfed the residence, drawing the attention of local residents, who immediately alerted the fire brigade and police.
By the time the fire was brought under control, furniture, clothes, utensils, electronic appliances, important household documents and several other valuables had been completely destroyed. The family suffered heavy financial losses as most of the belongings inside the house were reduced to ashes.
A neighbour, Sandeep Suste, displayed presence of mind by disconnecting the electricity supply to the house to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby residences. However, he sustained injuries while attempting to cut off the power supply and was admitted to a private hospital for treatment. Officials said his condition is stable and he is out of danger.
Fire brigade personnel managed to douse the flames before they could spread to adjoining houses in the residential locality. Police visited the spot and carried out a preliminary inspection after the incident.
Officials said the exact cause of the explosion would be ascertained after a detailed investigation. They added that technical experts would examine whether the blast was caused by an electrical fault, compressor failure or any other mechanical defect in the refrigerator.
