Bhubaneswar, Aug. 17: Five persons died in two separate fires in Angul and Sambalpur today.

Three children, including a brother-sister duo, were burnt alive after an LPG cylinder leak caused a fire in Sambalpur late last night, while two sisters asphyxiated to death in another fire in Angul in the early hours.

Baijayanti, 13, Thakurram, 11, children of Narottam Jagat, a native of Purunabasti in Rengali and Kirti Chand, 17, daughter of his sister-in-law, Lilima, died in the fire at Ranikhinda in Sambalpur.

"The house caught fire due to a leakage in the gas cylinder during cooking, "said Subhransubala Mishra, owner of the house.

Kirti's father Surya Chand said: "We reside in Brajarajnagar. My daughters, Rebati and Kirti, had come to Sambalpur for an interview and they were staying at their aunt's house after the interview. My daughters and my sister-in-law's two children were playing carrom. Rebati felt unwell and came outside after some time and as a result, she escaped the fire."

Once the house caught fire, Narottam, Lilima and their neighbours rushed in to rescue the children, but in vain. They called the fire brigade, who brought the children out of the charred house. They were admitted to a hospital where they succumbed."

In Angul, sisters Bimala and Ujjawala asphyxiated to death after their house at Bantala Bazaar caught fire in the early hours today. A kerosene lamp is suspected to have caused the blaze, which gutted all items in the house.

Seeing smoke billowing out of the house, neighbours broke open the door to rescue the girls. The sisters were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared them dead.