Two girls died after they climbed into a washing machine and turned it on.

The girls, aged 2 and 4, were found dead inside the washing machine on Saturday afternoon at their home in Qiaoshe township in Nanchang, Jiangxi province.

The girls' grandfather, surnamed Tu, said that their father was watching TV in the bedroom and their mother was cooking when the accident occurred, the website of People’s Daily reported.

The couple saw a chair was placed near the washing machine in the guestroom, according to their grandfather.

The local government announced that it would offer all necessary help to the family to help them deal with the tragedy.