RUPANDEHI: A tragic fire caused by a gas leak claimed the lives of a brother and sister in Shuddhodhan Rural Municipality-5, Jayanagar, Rupandehi district.

According to Superintendent of Police Niranjan Dutta Bhatta, the incident occurred on Sunday evening while the siblings were cooking at home using a gas stove.

A leak in the gas regulator reportedly triggered the fire. The victims—18-year-old Sonam Yadav and her 25-year-old brother Shiva Kumar Yadav—sustained severe burn injuries.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire originated near a shed close to the house due to the gas leakage. Both victims were rushed to Universal Medical College in Bhairahawa for treatment on Sunday night.

Sonam succumbed to her injuries at the hospital, while Shiva Kumar died en route to Gorakhpur, India, where he was being taken for further treatment.

The bodies have been kept at Bhim Hospital in Bhairahawa for postmortem examination, police confirmed.