Imphal, Feb. 18: Songs of celebration at a wedding in Manipur quickly turned into a dirge when three relatives of the groom were charred in a fire triggered by a lamp explosion.

The victims were the groom’s grandmother Thangjam Ngangbi, 80, aunt Rina, 42, and cousin Dipu, 2. All three were in the same room of the house at Thangmeiband Maisnam Leikai, in Imphal West, when the fire broke out.

The rest of the family and guests who had gathered for the wedding were about to leave for the bride’s home when someone spotted the sparks and informed the fire department. In half-an-hour, the gaiety of a wedding was replaced by the heart-rending wails of people mourning the dead.

It transpired that an ailing Ngangbi was in bed when the incident occurred. The octogenarian’s daughter was attending on her sick mother with her minor son by her side. All three were found charred almost beyond recognition after the flames were doused.

“The lamp was next to an image of Sanamahi, the family god. Someone poured petrol into the lamp thinking it was kerosene. It appears that triggered the explosion,” Momon, the groom’s father, said.

The bed on which the trio were found dead was close to the family shrine.

Most of the other family members were in the courtyard of the house at Nagamapal Singjubung Leirak in Imphal town and had no clue what was happening until it was too late.

“Nobody knew of the fire immediately as the room from where the fire originated is at the rear of the house. The blaze partially damaged four rooms and destroyed property. We cannot immediately assess the extent and value of the property damaged,” a distraught Momon said.

The wedding was postponed indefinitely after the tragedy.

As family members and relatives were busy with the last rites of the three, Mahesh Singh, the groom, stood dumbfounded in one of the partially burnt rooms.

“I do not know what to say and think. I have never come across such a tragic incident in my life,” Mahesh said.