New Delhi: A major fire in New Usmanpur area of New Delhi on Saturday killed three children of the same family, reducing to ashes at least one dozen shanties. One has been critically injured.

The police sources suspect that a cylinder blast triggered the inferno.

Senior District M of the area, IS Yadav said, “Initial reports suggest that the cause behind the fire might be a cylinder blast. There are three casualties and all of them are from the same family. The injured person has been sent to the hospital for medical treatment.

The fire, which broke on Saturday night, spread quickly and gutted dozen shanties. Six fire tenders were rushed to the spot after which it took at least an hour to control the blaze.