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Two killed, 250 houses gutted in fire

Two children died and 250 houses were reduced to ashes in a devastating fire which broke out at a slum here early today, police said.

Updated on: Oct 25, 2009, 15:32:47 IST
PTI | By , Siliguri
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Two children died and 250 houses were reduced to ashes in a devastating fire which broke out at a slum here early today, police said.

HT Image
HT Image

A 10-year girl and a six year old died in the fire which started at around 4 am in Matangini Colony of Tikiapara area here, Inspector-in-Charge of Siliguri Police station Aloke Dasgupta told PTI.

Around 1000 people were also rendered homeless as their houses were gutted in the fire, he added.

Six fire tenders fought the blaze for four hours before controlling it, police said.

The fire broke out in the congested slum when a LPG cylinder exploded while a housewife was cooking. The flame immediately spread to adjacent houses, most of which were thatched and reduced them to ashes.

As most of the people had gone to bank of the Mahananda river here for Chhath puja, so the casualty figure was less, police said adding the two children, who died in the fire were probably kept locked in their house as others of the family had gone to pay obeisance.

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