6 OF FAMILY DEAD IN DARBHANGA FIRE CAUSED BY FIRECRACKERS

Six members of a family, including two women and three children, died in a fire sparked by bursting of crackers during a wedding ceremony in Bihar’s Darbhanga on Thursday night.

“At 11.15 pm, Bahera police station received information about a fire incident in Antor village. Immediate action was taken by the police and fire brigade to control the fire. Unfortunately, six people were found dead by the time fire was controlled. The victims include three children, two women and a man,” according to a press release issued by senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jagunath Reddy on Friday morning.

Antour is a village in Alinagar block of Benipur subdivision, located 30 km east of the district headquarter town of Darbhanga.

All deceased were kin of one Ramchandra Paswan, who lost his son, daughter-in-law, his married daughter and her three children, including a girl.

In a statement, chief minister Nitish Kumar condoled the deaths and directed the authorities concerned to ensure proper treatment of the injured.

According to eyewitnesses, the occasion was the wedding of one Naresh Paswan’s daughter. Guests from the groom’s side were staying at the residence of his neighbour Ramchandra Paswan. During the celebrations, fireworks were set off by the ‘baraatis’ (groom’s side) which caused a fire that quickly spread to a nearby pandal housing the makeshift kitchen and caused an LPG cylinder to explode.

Villagers said that after the tragedy, the bride and the groom were hurriedly married at a temple nearby.

Benipur subdivisional officer (SDO) Shambhu Nath Jha, who visited the spot soon after getting information, said, “Prima facie, the fire seems to have been caused by the firecrackers burst during the wedding celebrations. Further details will be clear only after investigation.”

All bodies have been sent to DMCH for autopsy.

District authorities have announced Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, along with compensation for three cows which also died.