Two kids charred to death as fire guts hut in Ludhiana village, 4 others critical

Ludhiana rural police said that the incident took place when the six children along with their mother, Sunita, were sleeping inside the hut and had lit an oil lamp to keep themselves warm. Their father Bodhan Ram, a migrant labourer from Bihar, was not home at the time of the incident. As per details, sometime early on Monday morning, the fire broke out at the hut and the plastic sheet which was being used as a roof by the family, melted and fell on the children.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Paramjit Singh, the investigating officer of the case from Mullanpur Dakha police station, said that after the fire broke out, the locals of the area were the first to reach the scene and they tried to douse the flames by pouring buckets of water on the fire. Later, the occupants of the shanty were fished out, but by then the children had already received major burns. They were rushed to Civil Hospital in Ludhiana initially, from where they were were referred to GMCH sector-32 Chandigarh. At GMCH, two children succumbed, while the rest were further referred to PGIMER Chandigarh. “All the six children had received more than 50 oer cent burns,” Paramjit said.

The two kids who succumbed at GMCH-32 were identified as Shukra (7) and Mohan (3), said the ASI.

Four others — Parveen Kumar (11), Komal (10), Aman (5) and Radhika (3) — are stated to be in a critical condition and receiving treatment at PGI, Chandigarh.

“The mother also received burns while trying to rescue the children. She is stated to be out of danger,” said the ASI, adding that prima facie the incident looked like a case of accident with inquest proceedings under section 174 of CrPC having being initiated.