Bengaluru, July 20 -- In a tragic incident, a daily wage worker was killed in his sleep as a fire overtook his home near Bengaluru on Friday night. The incident occurred in the Doddabelavangala area in Doddaballapura. The deceased has been identified as A Udaykumar, who was 35 years old, The Times of India reported.

The tragedy unfolded after midnight, when Udaykumar, who was sleeping in the house alone that evening, died as the fire overtook his residence. His mother, Arasamma, a widow, was away visiting relatives at the time of the incident, the report stated.

Officials investigating the case said Udaykumar struggled with longstanding habits of drinking and smoking, and had reportedly visited a neighbourhood liquor store before return...