SUKKUR: A minor girl was burnt alive and three other persons suffered burns when a fire broke out in Gulzar Mahar village near Khanpur Mahar on Wednesday, reducing 10 mud-thatched houses to ashes.

According to villagers, the fire was caused by a spark from a traditional mud stove.

The minor girl, Waziran Mahar, was burnt alive and three persons including three-yearold Ashfaq Mahar and two others were injured.

The affected villagers complained that fire tenders reached the village two hours after the fire broke out. By then, it had already eaten up all household items and valuables, they said.

They said that all family members had gone to harvest wheat leaving behind children who got trapped in the fire while asleep. No elected representative had contacted them to express sympathy with victims, they said.

They said the fire tenders called from Ghotki and Khanpur Mahar took four hours to put out the fire and failed to save their houses from complete destruction.

The villagers appealed for financial help to rebuild their houses.