Indian fair tragedy

At least 51 people died and 100 were injured yesterday when a huge fire broke out at a crowded consumer electronics fair in the northern Indian city of Meerut and the death toll could rise further, officials said.

Witnesses and officials said a short circuit had caused the fire, which spread rapidly to the polythene sheets covering a temporary enclosure where air conditioners, television sets and other home appliances were on show.

Hundreds of people rushed along a corridor towards a single exit in the long tented structure. The blaze soon engulfed two neighbouring tents.

"There were three sheds which were centrally airconditioned and to keep the cooling on they used polythene sheets over them," R.M. Srivastava, home secretary for the state of Uttar Pradesh, told Aaj Tak television. "There was a short circuit which caused the fire and because of the sheets the fire spread rapidly. People did not get time to get out as there was only one exit point."

Television channels showed footage of charred bodies lying grouped together in smoking ruins with flames flickering on twisted structures next to them.

One body lay burnt, except for one leg still clad in blue jeans.

"People came out of the tents on fire and tried to lie down on the ground," witness Yudhvir Singh said. "There were some whose faces were burnt and some whose heads were burnt. These were the only people who could get out."

Senior Uttar Pradesh home department official S.K. Agarwal told Reuters the toll could climb.

"Fifty-one bodies have been extricated so far and there is a possibility of more (deaths) as they still don't have any count of people in the hospitals," Mr Agarwal said.