Jammu: A tragic incident occurred early Monday morning when a fire broke out in a house in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, claiming the lives of a woman and her two young children, police reported.

The victims, Nazia Begum, along with her daughter Amina and son Rizwan, were asleep when the fire started, authorities said.

The fire triggered protests from Nazia’s family, who alleged, “the three had been murdered.”

The blaze erupted around 4:30 a.m. in the home of Khursheed Ahmad, located in Badhat-Jashar village in Drabshalla. While Khursheed managed to escape, his wife and children did not survive, police noted.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing, police added.

Nazia’s family members, including her parents, protested outside the Kishtwar district hospital, where the bodies are being held for post-mortem, asserting, “she and her children were murdered and it was not an accident.”

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ishan Gupta arrived at the scene and assured the family of a full investigation to determine the truth behind the incident.

“This is an unfortunate incident, and we have already taken note of it. If there has been any wrongdoing, we will expose the culprits and bring them to book,” he said.

Political figures, including BJP MLA Shagun Parihar and former minister G M Saroori, also visited the site to extend condolences.

“Anyone found guilty will face strict action,” Parihar said.

In a separate incident, a fire broke out late Sunday night, damaging a Gujjar Bakerwal boys’ hostel in Chatroo, Kishtwar, police said.

Fortunately, there were no casualties in that incident.