Calcutta, Oct. 21: At least six people, including five children, were killed in a fire that gutted 75 shanties on Foreshore Road near Shalimar in Howrah tonight.

Residents, mostly factory workers and day labour- ers, alerted Shibpur police station around 9pm. Twelve fire tenders brought the blaze under control by 11.30pm.

Initially, it was assumed that there were no casualties. But once the fire was doused and the police searched the debris, the six charred bodies were found, officials said.

“We have found the charred bodies of an elderly person and five children. They are yet to be identified as the bodies were badly burnt,” Niraj Kumar Singh, the Howrah superintendent of police, said past midnight. “The bodies have been sent to the Howrah police mor-gue for post-mortem,” he added.

Distraught residents who lost their homes and belongings said officials did not respond fast enough.

“The fire tenders arrived more than half an hour after we informed the police and the fire brigade,” said Mohammad Jasim, a factory worker. “The fire spread very fast but the dead could have been saved if the fire brigade had responded promptly,” he added.

However, fire brigade sources said there was no delay in responding to the distress call. They said a brisk breeze fanned the fire and the inflammable materials with which the shanties were built fed the blaze.

“We suspect the blaze started from fire lit for cooking in a shanty,” said Gopal Bhattacharya, the director of the fire and emergency services.

Around six people were injured when they scurried away from the fire and fell.

A large contingent of policemen has been deployed at the spot to maintain law and order.