Five members of a family, including three children, were charred to death when a fire a broke out at Naharbari area of Nagaland’s Dimapur district, an official said on Monday. The incident occurred around 10:45 pm on Sunday, when the blaze ripped through rows of thatched houses inhabited by people from a non-Naga community, he said.

Bursting of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations is likely to have triggered the blaze, the Fire & Emergency Services official said. Around 50 families have been affected due to the fire, he said, adding, six fire tenders managed to put out the flames after nearly two hours.