Huge fire kills two people, destroys over 700 houses in Bihar

atna: A huge fire broke out in Bihar's Darbhanga district on Sunday, killing at least two people and destroying scores of houses.

According to media reports, more than 700 houses, spreading across several villages, were gutted in the blaze. At least two elderly people have died of heart attack as the raging blaze engulfed their homes.

It took several hours by fire fighters to douse the inferno. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Several people have also sustained burn injuries.

According to District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh, the fire blazed in Khaparpura, Kolhanda, Patori and Ramtol villages, mostly thatched structures.

About half a dozen cattle were also charred to death, Singh said adding, he along with relief and rescue teams were camping at the affected villages.

Food packets were being distributed among the affected people, while damage to properties was assessed for distribution of ex-gratia among them, the DM said. 

This is the third such incident in the state in less than a month.

About a week ago, at least a dozen people were killed when a fire broke out in a house during a function. Majority of the victims were from the same family.

The Bihar government had announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the victims.

In another fire incident on April 16, a petrol pump in Bihar's Rohtas district was gutted in a blaze.

There was no casualty but the facility was destroyed.

Meanwhile, Bihar continued to sizzle under intense heatwave today even though mercury dipped marginally at several places, including capital town Patna, even as MeT department forecast the weather conditions to prevail for the next 24 hours.

Patna remained the hottest place in Bihar for a second day today with maximum temperature at 41.1 degrees Celsius against 43.3 degrees Celsius yesterday, while Gaya recorded the highest day temperature at 41.1 degrees Celsius, a weather department official said.

The maximum temperature in Bhagalpur stood at 40.4 degrees Celsius down by one degree Celsius since yesterday, while Purnea recorded a peak time temperature at 40.5 degrees Celsius against 38.9 yesterday, they said.