Baby burnt to death in Meghalaya

A baby boy, a year and nine months old, burnt to death in a fire that broke out Wednesday in a house in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, an official said.

The incident occurred while the mother of the victim, who was identified as Mebankitkhia Nongrum, had stepped out of the house to fetch water, said Mariahom Kharkrang, police chief of the East Khasi Hills district.

The mother had left the baby in the care of his seven-year-old sister, the police chief said.

Kharkrang said the cause of the fire was yet not ascertained, and a team of police personnel had reached the Pingwait village to investigate.