NEW DELHI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Four people were charred to death and seven others suffered burns early Tuesday after a fire broke out inside a slum in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, police said.
The fire broke out near Ramdayalu railway station in Muzaffarpur district, about 70 km north of Patna, the capital city of Bihar.
"In a devastating fire today at a slum here four people were killed and seven others suffered burns," a police officer in Muzaffarpur said. "The injured were immediately removed to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) for treatment."
According to police, soon after receiving a distress call about the fire accident, they sent a team of police and fire brigade to the spot to contain the blaze.
"The fire had trapped the people inside their hutments and by the time rescuers reached the spot, four people were charred to death," the police officer said. "It took several hours for police to douse the blaze."
The cause of the fire was not immediately known and police are trying to ascertain the reason.
A case has been registered into the accident by police and an investigation ordered.
Chances of fire in Indian homes are usually high as people ignore safety standards and store combustible material haphazardly. ■