Two schoolgirls could be scarred for life after a masked boy burst into their classroom and threw acid in their faces.

Sangita Magar, 16, and Sima Basnet, 15, are recovering in hospital amid an outcry over the attack today in Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

They suffered chemical burns to their faces, torsos and legs in the assault, which it is feared may have targeted them directly as a form of revenge.

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT

Victim: Sangita Magar, 16, had acid thrown on her face by a masked boy who burst into her Nepal classroom

Treatment: Sangita's mother Chameli feeds her at her hospital bed. The attack could have been a revenge bid

According to police, the girls were sitting in a tutoring centre in waiting for other students when the attack took place.

'A masked boy came into the room and threw acid at them,' said senior officer Narayan Khadka.

An investigation has been launched to find the attacker, whose motive for hurling the bottle of chemicals remains a mystery.

Sima told the Baltic Review: 'I felt an intense burning. I knew from an Indian TV show that I had to pour water on my face to prevent the liquid melting my skin.

'I did not call the police; I ran home as fast as I could while my friend was taken to the hospital by her parents'.

Sangita's parents have hit out at the way the investigation was treated, claiming she did not receive proper treatment for five hours after the attack.

Injured: Her hand in a cast, 16-year-old Sangita's hand bears only the remains of her scarlet nail polish

Tears: Acid attacks, used as a form of revenge in South Asia, disfigure and often blind their victims

Acid attacks disfigure and often blind their victims, who are usually women and often the target of some form of revenge bid.

The disputes, which happen in many parts of South Asia, can be linked to dowry, land disputes or refusal to a man's advances.

Although acid attacks are now a criminal offence in neighbouring India, there are no specific laws addressing it in Nepal.

A police statement said: 'The victims were sitting in a tutoring center when a stranger entered and poured acid on the two girls.