5 children among 7 of family from Bihar charred to death as hut catches fire in Punjab's Ludhiana

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, April 20

Seven members, including five children of a family from Bihar, were burnt alive in a fire that broke out in their hut near Tajpur dump here on Wednesday morning. The family earned their livelihood from rag picking.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (East) Ludhiana, Surinder Singh, said they were migrant labourers and were asleep in their hut near the municipal garbage dump yard on Tibba Road here.

The cause of the fire had not yet been established, he said.

The incident occurred at around 2 am when all the family members were sleeping in the shanty.

Since the deceased had stored huge stock of rags, plastic and junk material inside the hut, fire quickly spread and they did not get a chance to escape.

They have been identified as Suresh (54), Raur Devi (50), their daughters Rakhi (15), Manisha (10), Chanda (8), Geeta (6) and son Sunny (2).

 The dead belonged to Bogopur village of Samastipur district in Bihar, police said.