The bodies of two young sisters have been found following a fire in a shed in Tasmania's north.
Police and the Tasmania Fire Service were called to a property on Austins Road, Turners Marsh, about 3am on Sunday following reports that a shed was on fire.
The bodies of the two girls, aged 10 and 13, were found in the shed after the fire was brought under control.
It was being used as a bedroom and police say it had no smoke alarm inside.
"The family are extremely distraught ... the father of the two little girls had initially called in the fire to emergency services," Inspector John King told reporters on Sunday.
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"Not only have the two little girls unfortunately perished in this fire, the three other children were in the main house."
Preliminary investigations show the fire may have been caused by a faulty electrical cord that provided power to the shed.
Friends and family took to social media to express their grief.
"Waking up to hear this tragic news and still can't believe my two beautiful little cousins have been taken away from us," Kelsey Lee wrote on Facebook.
Miraki Thompson wrote: "My heart is broken I feel so lost! No words can explain the pain!"
"RIP girls I honestly don't know what to say or do."
