A fire during preparations for a Dussehra play in Rasulpur village in Bihar’s Siwan district injured 12 people, including children, on Tuesday night, with several of the seriously injured referred to Patna for advanced treatment. Police said the flames broke out while performers were preparing a funeral-pyre scene using fire and petrol.
The incident occurred at about 10.30 pm in the Barharia police station area, where local children were preparing to stage a play based on the life of Raja Harishchandra near an idol of Goddess Durga. According to eyewitnesses cited by the Times of India, earthen pots containing petrol had been placed on the stage for the scene.
The fuel caught fire during preparations and the flames spread rapidly across the stage. A curtain separated the backstage area from the audience, which initially remained unaware of the danger. The fire later spread to the upper portion of the tent. A burning curtain fell on Pawan Kumar, 15, who had come to Rasulpur to visit his maternal uncle, causing burn injuries.
An injured performer, identified as Ayush, said he had been standing on the stage holding a rope and had been assigned to remove the curtain. He said the performers were preparing a ghost-related act and had placed wood and petrol in an earthen pot before the fire started. Eyewitness Arun Kumar also said the fire broke out while the children were preparing the scene with petrol.
People at the venue attempted to put out the flames and rescue those trapped, but the absence of firefighting equipment made the operation difficult. The injured were first taken to Barharia Community Health Centre and were later shifted to Siwan Sadar Hospital and other medical facilities.
Those identified among the injured include Suraj Kumar, 18; Anish Kumar, 10; Rahul Kumar, 18; Bittu Kumar, 12; and Rasula, 10, all residents of Rasulpur village. Pawan, identified as the son of Pramod Mahto, is from Chhakka Tola. The condition of Suraj, Anish, Rahul and Pawan was reported to be serious, and they were referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment.
Siwan Superintendent of Police Bharat Soni said the accident occurred while a fire was being lit for the funeral-pyre scene. He said a team was being constituted under SDPO-I Pranjal to investigate the incident and identify those responsible for any negligence. A forensic science laboratory team also examined the site.
The SP said preliminary information indicated that the Puja committee had not obtained permission to stage the play. The police investigation will examine the circumstances in which combustible material was used on the stage, the event’s permission status and the arrangements available for responding to a fire.
