Patna, Feb 2 (IANS): Four persons of a family in Bihar's Bhagalpur district were badly burnt in an attack early on Friday and are in serious condition, police said.

The victims, including three minor girls and an elderly person were sleeping in the night at their home in Murli village under Ragra police station in Naugachia sub-division in the district .when 8 to 10 persons set them on fire after pouring petrol on their bodies. They also left 5 to 6 petrol bombs at the place in a bid to blow up the house.

The family members, after the fire, raised an alarm and were immediately rescued by the other family members and neighbours and the flames doused before the petrol bomb caught fire.

The victims are identified as Vidyanand Singh, 60, and his three granddaughters Arti Kumari, 12, Bharti Kumari, 9, and Bhawna Kumari, 5.

"The incident occurred at 1.30 am on Friday when 8 to 10 persons on a four wheeler and a bike arrived there and poured petrol on the bodies of my father and my three daughters who were sleeping at the door of the house. They also left 5 petrol bombs to explode in the house. We doused the flame as soon as my daughters and father shouted for help. We managed to douse the flame before the explosion of petrol bombs," Mukesh Kumar, the father of three minor victims, said.

"We rescued them and took them to sub-divisional hospital Naugachia where doctors have referred them to JLN Medical College and Hospital Bhagalpur. After the treatment, my three daughters were referred to the Burns Hospital Bokaro (Jharkhand) while my father is admitted in JLN Medical College and Hospital Bhagalpur," he added.

Following the incident, the victims family members said that the local police arrived at the spot at 7 a.m. Naugachia SP Puran Jha and SDPO Om Prakash also reached the place and investigated the matter.

"We have registered an FIR in this matter and are making efforts to identify and arrest the accused," Jha said.