NEW DELHI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- At least seven persons, most belonging to the same family, died in their sleep on early Wednesday, when fire broke out inside a house in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh, police confirmed on Wednesday.

A few people were also injured in the fire incident, among whom a couple were said to be in critical condition.

The mishap occurred in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city at around 04:00 a.m. local time. Fire-fighters doused the fire and recovered seven dead bodies from the site. Those injured were admitted to a local hospital.

According to the police, the fire apparently broke out due to a short circuit in the charger of an electric car. A few liquefied petroleum gas cylinders kept nearby caught fire and blew off, as a result of which the fire spread quickly inside the 3-storey house. ■