Ragpicker dies in late-night fire at slum cluster

Gurgaon: A 40-year-old man was charred to death in a fire that broke out in a in a slum cluster on Tuesday night.The incident happened around 1am in Sector 53.Robin Das, a native of West Bengal, had been living in Gurgaon for several years and working as a ragpicker. Police said the blaze was confined to a single hut. “The charred body was recovered from the debris and sent for post-mortem. Preliminary assessment indicates the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit or possibly a lit bidi. The victim was a chain smoker,” an officer said.Das was alone in the hut when the fire broke out. His daughter and son-in-law, who live nearby, rushed to the spot after hearing his cries for help. By the time they reached, the flames had engulfed the hut and he was found charred under the debris.Police said further inquiry is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.