A woman and her 12-year-old son were burnt alive in a fire that razed their house to the ground in Satkania upazila on Friday night.

The deceased were identified as Monju Shil, 35 and younger son Amit Shil, 12. Monju's two daughters were able to escape the fire.

Police and fire fighters said the fire originated from the earthen stove inside the tin-shed earthen house at around 11.00pm when Monju was sleeping along with her three children.

The fire soon engulfed the entire house and damaged two other adjoining houses, police added.

Officer-in-Charge of Satkania Police Station Md Rafiqul Hossain who visited the spot said the mother might have forgotten to put out the stove.

The ill-fated mother and son were trapped inside as the door also caught fire. Neighbours were able to pull out Monju's daughters Purnima Shil, 17, and Protima Shil, 14, got out through a window, the OC said.

Purnima’s legs were burnt and she was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), he added.

Sources in the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters at Agrabad said one fire engine rushed to the spot and was able to extinguish the blaze around 12:30am.