Two siblings died in Kapilvastu district on Sunday after a fire broke out due to a gas leak while cooking at their home in Jayanagar, ward 5 of Shuddhodhan Rural Municipality.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohanmani Adhikari, 25-year-old Shiva Kumar Yadav and his 18-year-old sister Sonam Yadav sustained critical burn injuries when gas leaked from a regulator and caused a fire around 7am.

Shiva Kumar suffered burns over 85 percent of his body, and Sonam over 75 percent. Both were first rushed to a medical college in Bhairahawa, and later referred to a hospital in Gorakhpur, India, for further treatment. However, they died on the way, around 6pm, police said.

Sonam was a Grade 10 student at Rastriya Secondary School in Mudfutuwa.