Kolkata, Dec. 22 -- In a tragic incident, four persons, including a minor, were charred to death while they were asleep at Joypur in Amta of Howrah late on Sunday night.
According to sources, a religious programme was underway in Sauria village in Joypur on Sunday night, with most villagers in attendance. At around 12.30 am, some residents noticed flames coming from the mud hut of the Dolui family. Before neighbours could respond, the house was engulfed by fire. The police and fire brigade were alerted immediately.
Two fire tenders reached the spot within minutes. After several hours, the blaze was brought under control, and firefighters recovered four charred bodies from the debris. The deceased were identified as Duryodhan Dolui (80), his son Dudhkumar Dolui (45), daughter-in-law Shibani Dolui (42), and granddaughter Shampa Dolui (15).
It is suspected that an electrical short circuit triggered the fire. As all the family members were asleep, they were not aware of the situation. Also, as the windows and doors were tightly closed, the room was suspected to have filled with smoke, and villagers spotted the flames when they reached the outer portion of the house. Police have sent the bodies to the Uluberia Hospital for autopsy, while the forensic team has been requisitioned for a detailed examination of the gutted hut to ascertain the actual cause of the fire. No foul play was detected.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.