Shimla, Jan 15 || Six members of a family were burnt alive at their residence in a devastating fire that broke out early Thursday at Talagna village in Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh, said police.
One family member survived the incident that occurred at around 2 a.m. at the residence of Mohan Singh.
The blaze spread speedily, allowing the trapped people little time to move out to safety.
The dead have been identified as Naresh, his wife Tripta, their relative Kavita and three children, Sarika, Kritika, and Kritik.
The badly charred bodies were difficult to recognise, an official said.
The lone survivor, Lokender, husband of Kavita, was rescued by villagers in critical condition and admitted to a hospital in Solan.
Prima facie, the cause of the fire was said to be a short circuit. An LPG cylinder exploded in the fire, gutting the house completely. Livestock were also reported to have burnt alive.