Unnao (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 13 (IANS): At least 15 people, including eight children, suffered serious burn injuries when an LPG cylinder caught fire at a house in Unnao district.

The incident took place on Saturday evening in the Salempur Karowan village under the Kotwali police station.

Superintendent of Police Unnao, Sureshrao A. Kulkarni, said, "The incident took place at the house of one Manoj Sonker where a leakage from an LPG cylinder led to a fire. Several fire tenders were pressed into the service to douse the blaze. The injured were immediately rushed to the district hospital, where doctors have said that the condition of two is critical.

The family members of Sonker and several others from the neighbourhood, who tried to rescue them, suffered burn injuries and are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

The police said that a major disaster in the area was averted as the house inmates were evacuated in time.

The police have identified the injured as Manish, Surendra, Rekha, Agnu, Sarla, Asha, Suresh and eight children, including Shiva, Shubham, Shubhi, Karan, Saumya, Pallavi, Kalpana and Kishan.