Two children charred to death, another injured in fire

Two minor children were charred to death and another injured in a fire in a dalit hutment in Manrahi village in Bihar's Aurangabad district, police said.
The incident took place late last night as a hut belonging to a dalit man Sheshnath Paswan caught fire from sparks of a burning dung cake trapping his three children in the blaze while they were fast asleep on the floor, Barun police station's Station House Officer (SHO) Anil Dube said.
Paswan's three children, identified as Gautam Kumar, Maya Kumari and Anita Kumari - all teenagers - suffered severe burn injuries and were taken to hospital where the two girls died during treatment, he said.

The injured boy was, however, recovering well and his condition was stated to be out of danger, the police officer said.
The bodies have been handed over to the family after post-mortem for last rites, Dube said, adding due compensation will be paid to the family as per rules.
The dung cake was lit by Paswan's wife so that the smoke could keep flying mosquitos at bay and enable her children to sleep properly, he said adding the tragedy occurred when the sparks from burning dung cakes struck the roof made of straw trapping the entire hut in blaze.