April 6 (PTI): Five people, including three minors, died and nine were injured in three incidents of fire across the state today.

At least three people - two widows and a child - were burnt alive in a blaze that broke out in hutments at Mauna village under Runnisaidpur block of Sitamarhi district, district magistrate Rajiv Roshan said. The fire spread from one house to almost 60 houses in the area, destroying them. Roshan said two fire tenders were brought to douse the flames.

He added: "The reason behind the fire is being probed. At present, relief camps have been set up in the village for the people who lost their homes in the fire."

In Kaimur district's Mohammadpur village, two girls were burnt to death after a fire broke out from a kitchen. A woman and two other children received serious burn injuries. Sub-divisional magistrate Jitendra Gupta said the deceased were identified as Ankita Kumari (8) and Suman Kumari (9).

Six persons, aged between 20 and 30 years, also received burn injuries at Gere in Gaya's Manpur area on Wednesday when a machine used to finish printed clothes exploded.