Two severely burnt in BBQ mishap in Sydney

Two women in Sydney have suffered severe burns after a faulty fitting in a barbecue caught alight.

The women were standing near the barbecue at a townhouse on St Georges Road at Bexley in the city's south when a gas leak caused a flare and they were badly burnt.

The NSW Fire and Rescue service said the fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived and the two women were taken to hospital.

A spokesman urged people to be careful around barbecues and to never start one using fuel.