Key Points

The horrific incident occurred on Wednesday morning in Tepraha village, under the Mihinpurwa police station limits.

According to locals, the accused, identified as Vijay, first killed two minor children and then locked himself, his wife, and two more children inside the house before setting it ablaze.

Fire quickly engulfed the structure, reducing it to ashes. Villagers and the fire brigade rushed to the spot, but the blaze had already claimed several lives.

The police team, which reached the scene after getting information, said three bodies have so far been recovered and have been sent for post-mortem. They said other bodies are being searched in the debris.

Former village head Salim, one of the first eyewitnesses, recounted, "The incident happened around 10 A.M. When we reached here we saw the house burning and tried to douse the flames before informing the police. When the door was broken open, the charred bodies of two children were pulled out."

Another villager, Ramchandra Yadav, said Vijay had been working as a farm labourer and appeared disturbed in recent days. "He killed two children first and then set the house on fire. Everyone inside was trapped."

Another villager mentioned that Vijay had called Suraj (14) and Sunny (13) to his house, asking them to sow garlic seeds. However, both boys declined, citing Mahanavami as the reason.

In a fit of rage, Vijay killed both Suraj and Sunny and then set the house on fire, killing six people, they said.

Senior police officials also reached the spot and are probing the motive behind the horrific act.

Authorities have also confirmed the death of four cattle in the fire.

The tragedy has cast a pall of grief over the entire village, with residents struggling to comprehend the brutal turn of events.

- IANS