TWO young boys died today following a house fire in Huddersfield.

The youngsters were rescued from a house in Rashcliffe Hill Road, Thornton Lodge, at 1.20pm today and taken to hospital where they died from their injuries.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated, but police said it is not being treated as suspicious.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service received a call at 1.12pm to reports of a house fire.

Crews from Slaithwaite, Meltham and Cleckheaton attended, a spokesman said.

The spokesman said firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued two young children from a back bedroom and they were taken to hospital by ambulance.

An Ambulance Service spokeswoman said three ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance manager attended the scene.

The two youngsters were taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

West Yorkshire Police said the victims were aged four and two.

A police spokesman said he was unable to say if the boys were related.

He said: "We are now working with fire investigators to establish the full circumstances of the fire."

Councillor Ken Smith, Labour cabinet member for children and families for Kirklees Council, offered his sympathy to grieving relatives of the boys.

He said: "It’s awful news. These tragedies do occasionally strike us, and we must all feel for the families involved.

"Our sympathies go out to everybody in this awful event, and we are thinking about those lives that have been shattered."

Video footage of the scene this afternoon is below.

Pictures from the tragic scene are in the gallery below.

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Neighbours said the victims were brothers who were often seen playing with other children outside.

It is believed the mother has two other sons and is pregnant with her fifth child.

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said the Asian family had lived in the house for around two years.

She said: "I often saw the boys playing with their toys in the road with other children."

Ryan Harris, 29, said his three daughters, aged 11, nine and eight, were friends of the victims.

He said: "My 11 year-old daughter broke down in tears when she noticed it was her friends' house."

Do you live on Rashcliffe Hill Road or know the family affected or simply want to offer your condolences or tributes?

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