Five of family killed in Himachal fire (Lead)

Shimla : Five members of a family, including three women, were killed when their house near Mandi town in Himachal Pradesh was gutted in a fire on Monday, police said.

The fire broke out around 5 a.m. at the Ner Chowk home of the victims, who had earlier returned home after a wedding in the family and gone to sleep.

The deceased who were suffocated to death were Narender Soni and his wife Veena, Sudesh, Mona and her eight-year-old son Sahil.

Prima facie, an electrical short circuit caused the fire, Superintendent of Police Gurdev Chand Sharma told reporters.

The family was to hold a community feast for the newlyweds on Monday.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed grief over the incident even as authorities ordered a magisterial probe.