AGRA, Nov. 6 -- An elderly couple died after a fire, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, engulfed their house in the early hours of Thursday in Mohalla Kahran under Sadabad police station limits in Hathras district. The couple, who were asleep when the fire broke out around 2 am, could not escape as the flames spread through the house, which also housed a clothes shop, police said. The deceased were identified as Sahjad, 65, and his wife Salma, 62. According to Hathras superintendent of police (SP) Chiranjeev Nath Sinha, the couple were alone in the house when the incident occurred. Neighbours noticed flames and thick smoke coming from the house and alerted the police and fire brigade. Fire tenders rushed to the spot, while a team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) also joined the rescue operation. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after nearly two hours of efforts. "Two people died in the fire. Their bodies were sent for post-mortem examination and other legal formalities," SP Sinha said. Prima facie, the fire was caused by a short circuit, while the stockpile of clothes kept in the shop ahead of Diwali contributed to its rapid spread, the SP said. The couple lived with the family of one of their four sons, but other family members were away when the incident occurred....