Pune: 75-Year-Old Woman Dies in Fire At Building Near Alandi Temple; Two Incidents Reported on Diwali
Pune, 11th November 2026: A 75-year-old woman died and another elderly woman was rescued after a fire broke out in a three-storey building behind the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple in Alandi on Monday evening. Two fire incidents were reported in the town on Diwali.
The deceased was identified as Shakuntala Inderkumar Dhadiwal, while Sarla Sumtilal Lodha was rescued. The fire broke out between 7.30pm and 7.45pm in a building adjoining the Jain Sthanak temple, on the southern side of the Sant Dnyaneshwar temple’s darshan mandap.
According to officials, a large quantity of cardboard had been stored on the first floor of the building, contributing to the spread of smoke. The building had limited windows and entrances, making rescue operations difficult. Two families lived in the premises.
Dhadiwal suffered severe burn injuries and died. She was initially taken to the Alandi rural hospital and later shifted to YCM Hospital in Pimpri. Firefighters from the Alandi municipal council and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation battled the blaze for over two hours before bringing it under control.
The narrow approach road also posed a challenge, forcing firefighters to park their vehicle some distance away. Local volunteers from Shivtej Mitra Mandal also assisted in the rescue and firefighting operations.
A second fire was reported between 1am and 1.30am in a room on the first floor of the pilgrims’ accommodation at Sant Jalaram Bappa temple on the Alandi-Markal Road. No casualties were reported, though some household articles were damaged.
The exact cause of both fires is yet to be established. However, a short circuit is suspected to have triggered the blaze in the building behind the Sant Dnyaneshwar temple.
Sandeep Patil, a junior engineer with Mahavitaran in Alandi, said the preliminary assessment indicated a possible short circuit, as the insulation on electrical wires had burnt while the wires remained intact. Further investigation would establish the exact cause, he said.
