3-Year-Old Child Catches Fire in Ludhiana; Sustains 60% Burns

April 23, 2026

A 3-year-old girl, playing inside her home near Bhatia Dairy in Ludhiana’s Chandan Nagar, was engulfed in flames while attempting to light a matchstick. The child was wearing a nylon frock, which caught fire within a matter of seconds. In his desperate attempt to save his innocent daughter, her father also sustained severe burns to his hands.

The child’s father, Satpal, recounted that he had returned home unexpectedly from work. The moment he opened the door, he found his young daughter right in front of him, writhing in agony as she was engulfed in flames. Disregarding his own safety, Satpal attempted to extinguish the fire with his bare hands.

In the process, his fingers and hands were badly burned. According to Satpal, “Had I delayed by even two minutes, my daughter would have lost her life.”

What is shocking is that while the accident occurred at 4:00 PM on Wednesday, the child was not taken to the Civil Hospital until after 10:00 PM. For nearly six hours, the little girl lay groaning in pain. When asked about the delay, her mother, Mamta Devi, explained, “We are extremely poor; we didn’t have a single penny for medical treatment. I had gone out to work cleaning and mopping floors in private bungalows. When my employer learned of the tragedy, she stepped in to help and arranged for us to get to the hospital.”