Overview
- The children — Ridhi (about 18 months), Sandhya (6) and Nagendra (3) — were found charred after a fire consumed their kachcha (mud) house in Kashihawa village in Sidhi district.
- The blaze began around 1 pm on Saturday, May 23, and police say an electrical short from an overhead line likely set nearby bamboo and dry material alight, rapidly spreading through the mud structure.
- Villagers tried to douse the flames and rescue the children but could not reach them; residents said fire tenders arrived later while the house remained locked and the parents were away at work and a ration shop.
- Jamodi police have registered a case and opened an investigation into the cause; Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav announced state compensation of ₹6 lakh per deceased child and the District Red Cross offered ₹20,000 each.
- Kachcha houses with bamboo roofing and overhead lines burn quickly and the village’s location about 10 km from the Sidhi headquarters highlights gaps in rural fire response and basic safety that officials may now be asked to address.