A nine-year-old girl has died after being electrocuted in the shower - along with her stepfather, after he tried to save her.

She was having a shower in her family home in Arvert in the west of the country when the accident happened at 7.00pm on Wednesday.

France's 20 Minutes reports that her parents rushed inside the bathroom to find water on the floor, a burned shower head and the young girl lying in the bathtub.

The girl's 21-year-old stepfather died while trying to save her.

Her mother severely burnt her hands trying to intervene and help the pair.

La Chaine Info (LCI), a French TV channel, said the cause of the accident is not yet known. Police are investigating.

It is reported the family had just bought the house, and the accident may have been related to construction work.

A source familiar with the case told LCI: "There seems to be a multiple outlet near the shower and there was water on the floor.

"The mother's partner was the first to intervene and the mother took the initiative to cut off the power before trying to save her daughter and partner in vain."