Firefighters try to douse the flames at kabari market in Patna on Friday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

A family of five was burnt to death and properties worth lakhs were reduced to ashes in two separate incidents in the city on Friday.

In the first case, Shambhu Rai (50), his wife Meeta Devi (40) and their children, Vikas (8) and Nishu (5), were burnt to death at their Domahala residence under the jurisdiction of Gardanibagh police station. Rai’s mother-in-law, Kaushalya Devi, who had come from Daudnagar in Aurangabad district, also died on the spot.

In another incident, several shops at kabari (scrap) market behind the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) office on Buddha Marg were gutted in a fire around 10.30am. At least 10 fire tenders fought the flames for more than an hour.

Domahala residents said they noticed flames leaping out of Rai’s house around 3am. Initially, they tried to control the flames. Thereafter, they alerted the Gardanibagh police station. By the time the fire tenders arrived, the inmates of the house were burnt to death. “The fire broke out when the family members were sleeping. They could not escape,” said Sanjay Prasad, a relative.

Meeta’s sister, Geeta Devi, a resident of Nadwan in rural Patna, arrived after getting the news. Tears rolling down her cheeks, Geeta said: “Rai used to work at a Kankerbagh restaurant in Patna. My mother was scheduled to return to Aurangabad in a day or two. Rai had promised to drop her home on Sunday.”

However, the fire personnel could save the lives of several cattle. “There is a khatal adjacent to the victims’ house. Had the flames not been doused, the fire would have engulfed it,” said Suman Kumar, a resident of Gardanibagh road number 15.

Fire officials said an electrical short circuit could have caused the fire.

In the kabari market incident, eyewitnesses said at least 20 makeshift shops were gutted when the blaze started. As the news spread, a large number of shopkeepers and onlookers assembled at the spot. The police had a tough time dealing with the crowd. Senior police and administrative officers rushed to the spot.

“The administration is busy preparing the list of people whose shops were gutted in the fire,” said senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj. He said there was no report of any loss of life in the incident.

Later, chief minister Nitish Kumar visited the spot and took stock of the situation. He also issued necessary instructions to the district officials. “We are yet to assess the loss of properties in the incident,” said Patna Sadar sub-divisional officer.

Residents said such incidents occur at kabari market almost every year.