4 of family, including 2 children, killed in Odisha fire; short circuit suspected: Cops

Four members of a family, including two children aged 11 years and eight months, were burnt alive in a fire that broke out in their house in Odisha’s Jajpur district, police said on Sunday.

The incident occurred around 8pm on Saturday, at Sk Nizam Uddin’s residence in Nalipur village under Badachana block of Jajpur district. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, though a short circuit is suspected, the police said.

According to local resident Ajay Kumar Samal, Nizamuddin arrived from Gopalpur on Saturday with his daughter and grandchildren. "The fire broke out when his elder daughter-in-law was cooking. His daughter, daughter-in-law and the two children died in the incident," Samal said.

On being informed, fire services personnel from Chandikhol and Balichandrapur police rushed to the spot and launched firefighting and rescue operations.

The deceased were identified as Nizamuddin's daughter Gul Afsa Parveen (26), daughter-in-law Tabassum Parveen (40), granddaughter Roshni Parveen (11) and an eight-month-old grandson, Jajpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Yashpratap Shrimal said.

A youth sustained serious burn injuries in the incident. He was initially admitted to the Badachana Community Health Centre but later shifted to Cuttack after his condition deteriorated.