A devastating fire at Basanti Villa Apartment in Bhubaneswar’s Laxmisagar area claimed the lives of an elderly couple and their 10-year-old granddaughter early Wednesday morning, May 6, 2026. The victims, identified as Biswajit Behera (70), Sulabha Behera (65), and Tejeswari Behera (10), resided in a basement room where Biswajit served as the building’s caretaker.
The blaze, suspected to have originated from an electrical panel or an EV charging point near their quarters around 4:00 AM, led to the couple’s death by suffocation and burns at the scene, while the young girl succumbed to her injuries later at SCB Medical College. While 27 residents were safely evacuated, the incident has sparked an investigation into severe fire safety lapses at the premises.
A Family Lost To Smoke And Flames
The quiet hours of Wednesday morning turned into a nightmare for the residents of Badagada Canal Road as thick smoke engulfed the four-storey Basanti Villa. Biswajit and Sulabha Behera, who managed the building’s daily maintenance, were trapped in their ground-floor living quarters as the fire blocked their only exit.
Fire personnel noted that the couple likely died from inhaling toxic fumes before the flames reached them. “The area was completely engulfed in smoke; it appears the couple died due to suffocation while trying to douse the flames,” an Odisha Fire and Emergency Service official stated.
Their granddaughter, Tejeswari, was rescued in critical condition but tragically passed away a few hours later. The intense heat also gutted several vehicles parked in the basement, highlighting the speed and ferocity of the electrical fire.
Safety Lapses And The Cost Of Oversight
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit in an electrical board used for EV charging, which was reportedly installed near the caretaker’s room rather than a dedicated panel.
Adding to the gravity of the tragedy, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das visited the site and revealed that the apartment lacked even basic fire safety measures and did not have a registered housing society.
This lack of oversight meant there were no alternative exit routes for the basement residents, turning their home into a death trap. Commissionerate Police have registered a case and are examining whether the absence of mandatory safety infrastructure constitutes criminal negligence by the building owners.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This tragedy is not just an “accident” it is a somber reminder of how the most vulnerable members of our urban workforce are often housed in the most hazardous conditions. When we neglect the safety of those who look after our homes, we fail as a society.
Every resident deserves the dignity of a safe living space, and every building owner carries a moral and legal debt to ensure that “cost-cutting” does not come at the price of human lives. We must move beyond temporary outrage and demand stricter enforcement of fire safety audits and the regulation of new technologies like EV charging in residential spaces.
Let us foster a culture where empathy drives our safety standards, ensuring that no more families are torn apart by preventable negligence.
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#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha: A fire broke out at Basanti Villa Apartments on Badagada Laxmisagar Canal Road. The fire has been extinguished. pic.twitter.com/fCT8ex1PzT
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2026
