A couple and their six-year-old daughter died following an accidental fire suspected to have been caused by a candle left burning in their house at Udaya Nagar in Mahadevapura police limits in the early hours of Wednesday.
The deceased Santosh, 35, a cable operator; his wife, Sofia, 30; and their daughter Flora, 6, lived in a two-storey house. According to the police, the family had lit candles at home as part of Christmas celebrations. They suspect that a tablecloth caught fire after one of the candles accidentally fell on it. The fire spread and smoke engulfed the entire house. As there was no ventilation, it is suspected that the family members inhaled the fumes, fell unconscious and then got burnt. The incident came to light when neighbours woke up to the smoke that had spread to their houses as well. They broke open the door of Santosh’s house and shifted the family to a nearby hospital where doctors declared them as brought dead. Santosh’s parents had gone to Pune to celebrate Christmas with their relatives.