Ghaziabad (UP) | Four people, including three members of a family, were charred to death in sleep after a fire broke out in a house here due to a short circuit early Sunday, officials said.

The fire broke out in a multi-storey building in the Kanchan Park area under the Loni police station jurisdiction.

According to the fire department, information about the incident was received at the Loni fire station at 7.06 am and three fire engines were pressed into service.

After reaching the spot, it was found that the fire had broken out on the second and third floors of the house and people were trapped inside. The house was in a congested lane and hence the fire engines were parked outside and water spraying was started after extending hose pipes through adjacent houses, it said.

The narrow staircase and the smoke in the house made it difficult to go up and the walls of the house were broken down, it added.

Four people were found on the terrace of the building. Two of them -- Ayesha and her four-year-old son Ayan -- were injured and the other two -- Shahnawaz and Shamshad -- were evacuated safely, the officials said.

After dousing the blaze, firefighters found four bodies inside the house, Chief Fire Officer Rahul told PTI.

The victims were identified as Shahnawaz's wife Gulbahar and their two minor sons, and the son of one of their relatives who lived in the same house, the officials said.

Sewing machines and clothes were kept on the first and second floors of the house, they said.