3 children among 6 of family killed in fire at Himachal village

Among the deceased were house owner Mohan Singh's two daughters and their family members who had come to their maternal home to celebrate the Maghi festival.

Eight persons were inside the house when the fire erupted around 2 am, though Mohan Singh himself was away. As the flames began to spread, Mohan Singh's wife Indira Devi managed to rush out and raised desperate cries for help.

Villagers ran towards the house on hearing her screams, but by then the fire had spread across the wooden structure. Locals managed to pull out the badly injured Lokender (42) of Kumra village in Chaupal tehsil of Shimla district. Seconds later, a domestic LPG cylinder inside the house exploded, turning the house into a blazing furnace, leaving no chance for those trapped inside.

Six persons who were inside the house were burnt alive. The victims included three children, two women and one man. They were identified as Naresh (50) and his wife Tripta (44), both residents of Taproli village in Rajgarh tehsil, and Kavita (36), wife of Lokender and their three children Sarika (13), Kritika (13) and Kartik (3), all residents of Kumbra village of Chaupal tehsil in Shimla district.

The fire was so intense that the bodies of the victims were charred.

Lokender has been shifted to a hospital in Solan, where doctors said his condition was serious.

Police and administrative teams, including Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Verma and Superintendent of Police Nishchint Singh Negi, reached the spot soon after the incident.

The administration has started a probe to find out the exact cause of the fire.

The DC assured that all possible assistance would be provided to the affected families. An ex gratia amount of Rs 25,000 each has been released to the next of kin of the deceased.

The DC said the administration would extend every possible support for rehabilitation and arrangements were being made to provide temporary shelter to the family.