MUZAFFARPUR: Four minor girls of a family were charred to death when a fire broke out in a "slum" near Ramdayalu railway station in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, an official said on Tuesday.
Seven other persons sustained burn injuries in the fire that broke out on Monday night, he said.
The four girls who died in the fire are aged between three and 12 years and have been identified to be daughters of a person named Naresh Ram, the official said.
"Seven other persons sustained burn injuries in the fire and they were immediately taken to the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in the district for further treatment. While four persons have been discharged, three are still undergoing treatment at the SKMCH hospital. Conditions of three injured are stated to be critical", he said.
The exact cause of the fire could not be ascertained so far.
Bodies of the deceased had been sent for the post-mortem examination, he added.
"The incident took place at around 11 pm on Monday night. The blaze spread quickly and the fire department was immediately informed. It brought the fire under control after some time", said the Circle Officer of Mushari (Muzaffarpur), Sudhanshu Shekhar, adding the incident is being investigated by the authorities concerned.
The father of the four girls received the ex-gratia cheques (Rs 4 lakh each) from the district administration on Tuesday.
Besides, the administration also gave cheques of Rs 9,800 each to three persons whose shanties were gutted in the fire.
Talking to reporters, Shekhar said, "Four ex-gratia cheques of Rs 4 lakh each were given to Naresh Ram, father of the deceased girls on Tuesday. Besides, three persons, including Naresh Ram, were also given cheques of Rs 9,800 as their shanties were gutted in the fire. Those whose jhuggis were gutted in the fire were also provided utensils and other relief materials by the district administration. The amount was sanctioned by the Disaster Management fund of the state government".
The state government is also bearing the expenses of the treatment of the injured, he added.
