Kolkata, Feb 22 (IANS): Seven people including two women and four children of the same family were charred to death in West Bengal's Purulia district in the early hours of Friday, police said. The reason for the fire has not yet been ascertained.
"The incident took place after midnight. Four survived the fire but the other seven including four children, two women and one man died," Biswajit Mondal, officer-in-charge, Para police station told IANS.
The family was involved in extracting date palm juice and selling it, and lived in a thatched hut in a field.
The people who survived the fire had tried to save those trapped inside the hut and received burn injuries. "They were taken to a local hospital," police said.
It is suspected that the fire could have originated from a earthen lamp or a stove.
The bodies were taken for post mortem and an investigation is underway, the police official added.