Pimpri Chinchwad, 3rd August 2026: A 19-year-old man died after allegedly inhaling smoke when a fire engulfed a hotel near Dange Chowk in Wakad on Sunday evening. Police suspect the victim got trapped inside the premises after a blaze broke out while a cooking gas cylinder was being replaced.
The deceased, identified as Mohammad Sahjad (19), a native of Uttar Pradesh, was operating the Delhi Six Biryani hotel on Datta Mandir Road along with his elder brother. He was pulled out of the smoke-filled hotel and rushed to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The fire erupted around 8 pm, prompting teams from the fire brigade and Wakad police to rush to the spot. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after a firefighting operation.
According to the preliminary investigation, the hotel had been taken on rent in January this year by Mohammad Usman (38), a resident of Faridabad in Haryana. The establishment was being managed by Sahjad and his elder brother, Farhan.
Police said the incident occurred when the cooking gas cylinder ran empty and a delivery worker from the gas agency arrived to replace it. Investigators suspect the stove was still on during the replacement, and the newly fitted cylinder caught fire, rapidly filling the hotel with thick smoke.
While the gas agency employee allegedly fled the spot as the fire intensified, Sahjad remained trapped inside the hotel. Police believe he succumbed to suffocation caused by smoke inhalation.
Police are trying to trace the gas agency employee who left the spot and are examining whether negligence during the cylinder replacement or violation of safety protocols led to the incident.
Police said appropriate legal action will be initiated against those found responsible once the investigation is completed.
