Doctor, two children killed in fire accident in Renigunta

TIRUPATI: A doctor and his two children were killed in a major fire accident at a hospital building in Renigunta near here on Sunday. Two others, the doctor's wife and mother-in-law, have been rescued by the fire-fighting personnel in the mishap that happened early in the morning.

The fire department authorities suspect that an electric short circuit might have caused the fire in Karthikeya hospital building, which was reportedly under renovation at Vasanth Nagar in the sleepy town.

The doctor, who ran the hospital, was living with his family on the top floor of the same building. According to information, the fire first broke out on the residential floor. Dr Ravi Shankar Reddy was burnt alive in the incident. The neighbours, who first noticed the fire and informed the police and the fire department, were able to rescue the doctor's wife and mother-in-law. Later, the fire-fighting personnel used step ladders and brought down the two children with great difficulty.

They were all rushed to a hospital in Tirupati for emergency treatment. While the doctor's wife and mother-in-law were reported to be safe, his two children – son Bharat and daughter Kartika – could not survive as they were severely asphyxiated by the heavy smoke in the fire mishap.