Strong wind fanned the flames, which enveloped the wooden door, trapping the wedding guests inside the house with thatched roof.
Twelve people including six children and two women were burnt alive as fire swept a row of houses, including one hosting a wedding party, in a village in Bihar's Aurangabad district, police said.
Police officers, citing villagers, said the fire started at Bhola Paswan's house but soon spread to the houses of his neighbours Baban Ram, Lalan Ram and Jata Paswan. "There was a marriage function in Jata Paswan's house and it was crowded. Most of the victims belong to that family," a police official said.
Strong wind fanned the flames, which enveloped the wooden door, trapping the guests inside, Daudnagar sub-divisional officer Rakesh Kumar said.
After the blaze was doused, police found 12 charred bodies inside the room, District Magistrate Kanwal Tanuj said.
Mr Kumar said that injured have been admitted in the hospital for treatment. The district magistrate and superintendent of police are camping in the village.
Fire incidents are common during the hot summer months in rural Bihar, where people still live in thatched homes.
Authorities are further investigating the fire that occurred in Harinagar Tola, a village in Bihar state about 165 kilometers (105 miles) south of Patna, the state capital.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rs.4 lakh to the kin of each victim. They have also issued a diktat to punish violators.
Fire incidents are common during the hot summer months in rural Bihar, where people still live in thatched homes. Officials said that fire incidents have been on the rise due to a heat wave with temperatures as high as 42 degrees Celsius over the last 10 days.
Early this week, fear of sweeping fires led to some residents in over a dozen villages in Bagaha in West Champaran district ask others not to light firewood or kerosene stoves to cook food after 9 am to minimise the chance of fires, a district official said.
According to latest data compiled by the state disaster management department, more than 400 cases of fire were reported in the state as of today leaving 23 people and over 50 animals dead, while seven people injured as well as 11 animals were injured. Some 5,742 families have been affected.