Banda (Uttar Pradesh), Apr 16 (IANS): A 14-year-old girl was charred to death after a massive fire broke in the shop-cum-residence of a cloth merchant in Banda district.

While three other inmates of the house managed to escape unhurt, the girl, Khushi Gupta, could not be rescued.

Kalinjar inspector Rajiv Yadav, said, "Khushi, daughter of cloth merchant Ramesh Gupta, got trapped on the first floor of the two-storey building and was charred to death. Her body was recovered only after the flames were doused."

The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday. Locals said they heard shrieks from the house after midnight.

As they rushed to the spot, they found Gupta's cloth showroom and his first floor house engulfed in flames.

They immediately alerted the fire department and police control room. Several fire tenders were pressed into service. The fire could be controlled by Thursday morning.

Preliminary investigation by the fire department revealed that a short circuit in the shop triggered the fire.

The police have started a probe into the matter.

Ramesh Gupta, his wife Mohini, their daughter Khushi, 14, and son Aryan, 10, lived on the first floor of the house.

As soon as fire broke out, Ramesh, his wife and son managed to escape but Khushi was trapped.

Later, Khushi's charred body was recovered from the stairs of the house.

Family members said that Khushi had probably gone inside to bring her mobile phone, when she got trapped in the fire.