Pune, Oct 22 (IANS): A six-year-old girl suffocated to death after a fire engulfed a biryani eatery in the busy Sadashiv Peth market area, here on Saturday, police said.

The blaze occurred around 10.45 a.m., triggered by a suspected LPG gas cylinder leak and quickly spread to the entire eatery and a small mezzanine floor above where the owner Naeem Khan and his family were staying.

As Naeem Khan and other customers raised an alarm, his wife managed to clamber down with two kids to safety from the upper floor, while one girl, who was asleep there, remained trapped above due to the smoke.

The fire brigade, which rushed to the spot, managed to rescue the girl - identified as Iqra Naeem Khan - and shifted her to a hospital.

Though the victim, Iqra had not suffered any serious burns, she was declared dead during treatment and the cause is suspected to be the toxic fumes she may have inhaled while waiting for help.

After battling the blaze for over two hours, the fire brigade managed to control it and investigations are on into the incident, as three gas cylinders were recovered from the premises, including one that was leaking.