DARBHANGA: Six persons, including four children, died and over 700 houses gutted in two separate incidents of fire in Bihar's Lakhisarai and Darbhanga districts today, police said.
Four children were charred to death as fire broke out at Pokhrawan village under Kajra police station of Lakhisarai district, Kajra police SHO Ranjit Kumar said.
The deceased have been identified as sons of Gulshan Kumar - Prince Kumar (8) and Sujit Kumar (6), and daughters of Ranjit Thakur - Saraswati Kuamri (4) and Sudha Kumari (6).
The fire was caused by an electrical spark at Gulshan Kumar's home during cooking which also spread to neighbouring Ranjit Thakur's home, the SHO said.
The other family members of the deceased had gone for harvesting of wheat crop when the incident happened, he said.
The flames were so severe that all the four children including goods were reduced to ashes and that's why the bodies could not be recovered, he added.
In another incident in Darbhanga, over 700 houses were gutted in Hanumannagar block causing deaths of two elderly persons due to shock and resultant cerebral strokes while seven others sustained burn injuries, an official said.
The fire leaped through Khaparpura, Kolhanda, Patori and Ramtol villages under the block razing over 700 houses, mostly thatched structures, District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said.
The two elderly deceased were identified as Suresh Chaudhary and Parvati Devi.
About half a dozen cattle were also charred to death, Singh said, adding he along with relief and rescue teams were camping at the affected villages contiguous to each other.