MIRPURKHAS: A woman and her two minor children were burnt to death when their mud-thatched house caught fire, along with many others, in Wali Mohammad Mangrio village, Sindhri taluka, on Wednesday.

The fire affectees told reporters the fire broke out in a house and engulfed neighbouring huts in no time, reducing several mud-thatched abodes to ashes. Ms Maryam Bheel, 40, and her children Hari Lal, 5, and Khushhal Bheel, 8, sustained serious burn injuries in the fire and were rushed to nearby hospital but they died during treatment, they said.

They said the fire brigade vehicle of Hingorno town committee was sitting idle and probably out of order thanks to corruption by officials concerned. “We had reported the incident in time and requested the officials concerned to send the fire tender but it never came while villagers failed to extinguish the fire due to acute water shortage in the area,” they complained.

As a result, all valuables, house articles, stored seeds and wheat stocks were burnt to ashes, they said.

They warned that they would move local court against the town committee over its failure to send the fire brigade to the village.