Woman, 4 Children Killed In Fire In UP: Cops

A 30-year-old differently-abled woman and four of her children were killed in a blaze in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, police said.

Three more people, including two members of the family, sustained burn injuries in the incident that occurred in the afternoon and were hospitalised, they said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh each for the victims, according to an official release.

A hut in Maghi Mathia village, located within the Ramkola police station limits, caught fire due to reasons that are yet to be ascertained. The fire soon spread to three "pucca" houses across the road, District Magistrate (DM) Ramesh Ranjan said.

The fire broke out in the house of Sher Mohammad while his differently-abled wife Fatima and their four children -- Rokhi (6), Amina (4), Ayesha (2), and two-months-old Khadija -- were sleeping inside.

The woman made attempts to escape but failed as the fire engulfed the entrance of the room. They all were charred to death, police said.

The woman's father-in-law Shafeek (70) and mother-in-law Motirani (67) too were asleep in another room. They managed to escape but sustained burn injuries, police said.

One of their neighbours too was injured in the incident.

The three are being treated at a district hospital and their condition is stated to be stable, Ranjan said, adding that the district administration is providing all possible help to the victims.

Meanwhile, CM Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to ensure proper treatment of the injured and hoped for their speedy recovery. He has also asked the officials to expedite the relief work, the release said.

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