Imphal, Nov 17 (IANS) Three children of a family were burnt to death after a cooking gas cylinder burst in their house in Manipur, police said here Tuesday.

'Nine-year-old Karaila Christy, her five-year-old brother and four-year-old sister were burnt to death after an LPG (liquid petroleum gas) cylinder caught fire from an unattended burning candle Monday night,' a police spokesman said.

The children's parents were outside the house when the accident took place at Maran Center in Manipur's Senapati district, 55 km west of state capital Imphal.

The house was totally gutted before police, fire tenders and neighbours rushed to douse the flames.