MIANWALI, Jan 15: Two brothers were burnt alive while two others sustained serious burn wounds on Wednesday night when the cottage they were sleeping in caught fire at Moh Nurpura, the outskirts of city.

A gypsy family, migrated from Kot Adu, settled at an abandoned tract of land after building thatched cottages. Tasawar and his four sons were sleeping when their cottage caught fire from a burning candle.

The fire was so intense that the poor father could not rescue his children. As a result, Musawar Iqbal (19) and Tona Khan (8) were burnt alive while Sulah Khan (11) and Lakha Khan (6) and their father suffered burn wounds. The wife and three daughters of Tasawar remained safe in a nearby cottage. The injured were admitted to the local DHQ Hospital where the condition of children was stated to be critical.