Manipur: Fire claims 8 year old girl, reduces 31 houses to ashes

An 8-year-old girl identified as Julia Vashum was charred to death while 31 houses were reduced to ashes in a fire at the interior Litan hill village in Manipur's Ukhrul district, official sources said on Thursday.

An 8-year-old girl identified as Julia Vashum was charred to death while 31 houses were reduced to ashes in a fire at the interior Litan hill village in Manipur's Ukhrul district, official sources said on Thursday.

Sources said the incident occurred on Wednesday, adding the cause of the fire was suspected to an electrical short short-circuit.

Explosion of domestic LPG cylinders fuelled the fire and worsened the damages of the houses and properties worth crores, according to initial reports.

Fire brigade personnel from Imphal and Ukhrul district headquarters took about two hours to reach the spot and another three hours to control the blaze, sources said.

Vashum was a student of class II at a nearby school, sources said, adding an investigation has been ordered to find out the exact cause of the fire and damages.