Two children were burnt to death on Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district when a massive fire broke out in a furniture outlet, police said.
The blaze occurred in a three-storey building in the Kotwali area. The two killed in the blaze were children of a worker employed at the shop.
Soon after the inferno, angry locals protested the lack of fire prevention and combating system at the place and did not allow police to take possession of the bodies, Superintendent of Police Etah Santosh Kumar Singh told IANS.
He added that after some time, the locals relented but accused the fire department personnel of reaching very late at the spot.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced an ex gratia assistance of Rs.2 lakh to the family.