Behrampore, April 20: Two sisters were burnt alive last night when their house caught fire in Mohammadpur village in the Behrampore area of Murshidabad, 190 km from Calcutta.

According to police, six-year-old Rimpa Khatoon and two-and-half-year-old Amina were sleeping with their mother Salehar Bibi in their thatched house when a kerosene lamp apparently started the fire. Their father Jamat Khan, an agricultural labourer, had gone out.

Neighbours saw smoke billowing out of the windows and cracks in the roof. Soon, flames leapt out and engulfed the house.

The fire brigade was informed and the villagers ran with buckets of water to douse the blaze.

Abu Sufian, a resident, said the villagers broke open the door. ?We spotted Salehar Bibi... and dragged her out. She was severely burnt and fell unconscious.... But, perhaps because of the smoke, we could not locate the children immediately. When we did, they were badly burnt,? he said.

Salehar?s four-year-old son Naushad Khan escaped as he was spending the night at a relative?s house.