Two children dead as shanty catches fire in central Delhi; two injured

New Delhi: Two children died and two others of the same family sustained severe injuries after their shanty near central Delhi's Desh Bandhu Gupta Road caught fire while they were sleeping, police said Thursday.

The incident took place on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, they said.

The deceased were identified as Ganesh (10) and Swati (4), a senior Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said.

The injured, Suman (28), with 55 per cent burns, and Munna (5), with 70 per cent burns, are undergoing treatment at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, he said.

The victims were sleeping when the shanty caught fire, a senior police officer said.

Police suspect that the fire started from an LPG cylinder and spread to the shanty.

A call about the blaze was received at 2.18 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot, the DFS official said.