Belagavi, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Four members of a family were burnt to death and two others critically injured after a fire broke out at their house in Karnataka’s Belagavi city in the early hours of Tuesday, with a suspected refrigerator blast following an electrical short circuit being cited as the preliminary cause.
According to police, the incident occurred in Chauhan Galli after the Dhamone family had celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi at home on Monday and gone to sleep.
A preliminary investigation suggests that an electrical short circuit triggered the fire late at night. The refrigerator allegedly exploded shortly after the blaze started, causing the flames to rapidly engulf the entire house.
The deceased were identified as Gajanan Dhamone, 65, Roshan Dhamone, 21, Sharada Dhamone, 45, and Bharati Dhamone, 45.
Priya Dhamone, 28, and Ganga Dhamone, 25, suffered severe burn injuries and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Police said they sustained burns over around 70 to 80 per cent of their bodies and remain in critical condition.
The family was living in a shed-like structure and the victims were sleeping together when the fire broke out. The blaze was so intense that the refrigerator was reduced to what police described as the size of a small box, while household belongings were completely destroyed.
The Dhamone family worked as labourers. The tragedy has shocked local residents, particularly as it occurred shortly after the family had celebrated the festival.
Belagavi Police Commissioner visited the site and inspected the scene. Market police have initiated a detailed investigation to establish the exact cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the suspected refrigerator blast.
The incident comes months after a fire in Bengaluru’s Nagarbhavi locality on May 9 killed one person and critically injured four others. In 2025, another early-morning fire at a bar-cum-restaurant in the Kumbaara Sangha building claimed five lives due to suffocation and led to the arrest of the building owners over alleged safety and ventilation violations.
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