LAHORE, Feb 19: Two minors who were allegedly left alone at home by their parents reportedly died of suffocation in a fire on Wahdat Road on Tuesday.

The parents of the victims blamed delayed rescue work resulted in the death of their children.

Rescue 1122 personnel said the parents – Adnan and Saira -- of three-year-old Shahzeb and two-year-old Ayesha had gone somewhere locking them inside the house when fire erupted there apparently because of a short-circuit.

The rescuers said when they recovered the two children after extinguishing the fire, they were dead.

Police handed over the bodies to the family after completing formalities.

ACCIDENT: A traffic warden and the driver of a fine collection van died and four others suffered injuries in a collision between a motorcycle and a van on Motorway-II bypass near Thokar on Tuesday.

Officials said wardens Tahir Farooq and Mansab Ali were riding a bike on M-II in violation of motorway traffic rules which did not allow motorcycle on the road.

As they were some four kilometers from Thokar, a fine collection van coming from opposite direction collided with the bike.

As a result the both wardens and four people in the van suffered injuries. They were transported to Jinnah Hospital where Warden Tahir of Sheikhupura and van driver Nazar Shah of Faizpur succumbed to their wounds.

A National Highway and Motorway Police official claimed the wardens had to violate traffic rules apparently because of road blockades by those protesting Quetta carnage.He said the fine collection vehicle, which was operated by private contractors on Motorways, was also on the wrong track because of M-II blockade by protesters.