Shimla: Six members of a family were burnt alive at their residence in a devastating fire that broke out early Thursday at Talagna village in Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh, said police.
One family member survived the incident that occurred at around 2 a.m. at the residence of Mohan Singh.
The blaze spread speedily, allowing the trapped people little time to move out to safety.
The dead have been identified as Naresh, his wife Tripta, their relative Kavita and three children, Sarika, Kritika, and Kritik.
The badly charred bodies were difficult to recognise, an official said.
The lone survivor, Lokender, husband of Kavita, was rescued by villagers in critical condition and admitted to a hospital in Solan.
Prima facie, the cause of the fire was said to be a short circuit. An LPG cylinder exploded in the fire, gutting the house completely. Livestock were also reported to have burnt alive.
This is the second fire incident in the state this week. Earlier, a massive fire broke out in residential buildings located in the old bus stand area of Arki town in Solan district, which claimed 10 lives.
Still, some people are missing, and DNA profiling is being undertaken to establish the identity of the victims.
The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed sorrow over the incident.
BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda, state President Rajiv Bindal, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, MP Suresh Kashyap, former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, former Chief Ministers Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta Kumar have expressed condolences on the incident and prayed for the peace of the departed souls.
In his condolence message, BJP’s State President Bindal said, “The news of this tragic fire in the Nohradhar area of Sirmaur is extremely painful. The untimely death of six members of a family is a deep shock for the entire state. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this unbearable grief. We also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured person.”
The BJP has urged the district administration to ensure all possible assistance, adequate compensation, and relief and rehabilitation for the affected family as soon as possible.
The party said in a statement that it stood firmly with the affected family in this hour of grief.