Lucknow, Apr 16: Two children were killed in a massive fire that gutted a slum cluster in the Vikas Nagar area here, police said on Thursday, as rescue teams and residents trawled through the site reduced to ashes from the blaze the evening before.
The bodies of the two children, both around two years old, were recovered late Wednesday, hours after the devastating fire broke out, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Deeksha Sharma said.
“The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem. Their parents have been informed, and the identification process is underway,” she told reporters.
The fire, which started Wednesday evening in a slum cluster near the Ring Road in Vikas Nagar, rapidly engulfed about 200 shanties and reduced residents’ belongings to ashes. Hundreds of people, mostly domestic workers and daily wage earners, were left homeless.
After receiving information about the blaze, fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot, and rescue and relief measures were initiated without delay, Sharma said.
Teams from the police, fire department, SDRF and NDRF have been deployed at the site since Wednesday evening, she said, adding that the rescue effort went on till late in to the night.
Officials said around 200 shanties were gutted in the fire, leaving hundreds of residents, mostly domestic workers and daily wage earners, homeless.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed their concerns over the incident and called for immediate relief and a thorough investigation.
Authorities said the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. (PTI)
