NEW DELHI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Six members of a family were killed Thursday in a house fire triggered by a leak in a cylinder of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the northern Indian state of Haryana, police said.
The incident took place inside a house at Tehsil Camp area near Bichpari village of Panipat district.
"A residential house caught fire after a cooking gas cylinder blasted following a leak in it," a police official said. "Six people - a couple in their 40s and their four children (two daughters and two sons) were killed in the fire."
According to the police, the victims had migrated from West Bengal state and the couple was working in a factory in Panipat.
Police said they rushed to the spot along with firefighting personnel after neighbors informed them about the smoke coming out of the house.
"The family was living in a one-room rented accommodation. By the time the fire engine reached the spot, the room was reduced to ashes and the bodies were charred," the official said.
"The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and their extended family in West Bengal was informed."
Police have registered a case in this regard and ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Chances of fire in Indian houses and buildings are usually high as people often ignore safety standards vis-a-vis fire. ■