24 January 2004	Saturday	01 Zilhaj 1424

CHENNAI, Jan 23: At least 50 people died on Friday when fire swept through a wedding hall, turning the building into an inferno, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, police said.

The 28-year-old bridegroom was among the dead, who also included 28 women and four children. Some 75 people were injured. Scenes of panic reigned as relatives and guests struggled to escape down a narrow stairway, a witness said. Some were killed in the stampede while others died from smoke inhalation.

Witnesses said the blaze spread from the holy fire that had been lit for the bride and the groom to walk around seven times to solemnise their wedding vows according to Hindu religious customs. The bride escaped unhurt as she was still preparing for the wedding ceremony, an official said.

The blaze occurred in Tiruchchirapally near the famed Srirangam Hindu temple, some 300 kilometres from Chennai, Nadu state capital of Tamil Nadu. The flames tore through the packed hall which was decorated with dried coconut palm leaves that quickly caught fire. The blaze was aggravated when a light from a video camera being used to film the ceremony exploded.

A resident of the area said marriages were usually held in the ground floor of the hall but the first floor was used in order to accommodate the big guest turnout.

"The heavy silk saris worn by the women and the costumes of the children quickly caught the fire. They had little chance of climbing down the narrow stairs to escape," the resident said. Many of the people who died lived in the town which was still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.-AFP