Baripada: In a tragic incident that took place in the wee hours of Friday, a woman and her two minor children were charred to death at Dhipasahi of Unchagaon village under Jharapokharia police limits in Mayurbhanj district.
The deceased woman was identified as 24-year-old Surukuni Marandi and her children as six-year-old Sarita and three-month-old Jagdish.
A source said that, Surukuni was sleeping in her house along with the two kids when it caught fire. The inferno engulfed their house at around 2.00am.
On being informed, a team of Jharpokharia police and fire services personnel from Saraskana reached the spot and doused the flames.
Unfortunately, three of the family had died by that time.
During preliminary probe, husband of the woman identified as Mangal told police that the fire broke out while all his family members were sleeping.
Besides, it is known that Mangal had married another woman prior to he got married to Surukuni after divorce from his first wife due to some family feud.
Actual reason behind the deaths has not been ascertained yet.
Meanwhile, Jharapokharia police have detained Mangal and launched a detailed probe into the mysterious fire mishap leading to untimely death of the woman and her minor children.
Bodies of the mother-children trio will be sent for post-mortem to Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital (PRMMCH) after the arrival of a scientific team from Baripada, DSP Mukti Kumar Kulu informed.
PNN