VARANASI: Two children died due to suffocation and burning following an explosion in an illegal gas refilling shop here on Tuesday, police said.
The fire broke out in the shop in Koyla Bazar in the Adampur police station area following a suspicious explosion in a gas cylinder, they said.
Gas refilling work, according to police, was being done illegally in this shop.
After receiving information, the firefighters reached the spot and brought the fire under control, but no one was able to go inside due to the heavy smoke, police said.
The bodies of two children were later found inside the shop when the smoke subsided, police said, adding they died due to suffocation and burning.
One of the deceased was identified as 14-year-old Faizan (14), a resident of Hasanpur, while the identity of the second child has not been established yet, police said.
Both the bodies have been sent for post-mortem, they said.