Shanty fire: 2 kids die, 4 siblings battle for life

LUDHIANA: Two children, aged 3 and 7, were charred to death while four other siblings suffered serious burns after a shanty caught fire at Mandiani village of Mullanpur Dakha late on Sunday night. The family had lit an oil lamp to get some relief from the cold. The fire started from the lamp.
All six children, aged between 3-11 years, were rushed to the Ludhiana civil hospital. Sensing their critical condition, the doctors referred them to PGIMER, Chandigarh where two children succumbed to their injuries on Monday. The deceased were identified as Shukra (7) and Mohan (3). Parveen Kumar (11), Komal (10), Aman (5) and Radhika (3) were injured.
ASI Paramjit Singh, investigating officer from Dakha police station, said the children along with their mother Sunita were sleeping in the shanty and they had lit an oil lamp to fight cold. Their father Bodhan Ram was not home. The shanty erupted in flames all of sudden.
Plastic sheet, which was used as a roof, melted in the heat and fell on the children. The onlookers tried to douse the fire with water. The mother too suffered injuries while trying to save her children. The locals managed to bring the children out of the shanty and rushed them to the hospital.
The ASI said during treatment, Shukra and Mohan succumbed to the injuries. Other children have received more than 50% burns. The police have proceeded with Section 174 of the CrPC.