A house fire claimed the lives of four children in Somers, Connecticut, on Tuesday.
The four children — all under 12 years old — were inside their two-family home when a fire broke out on 2 January, Somers Fire Marshal John Roache said in a statement to The Independent. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.
When responders arrived Tuesday evening, the front of the house was engulfed in flames, authorities said at a Wednesday press conference. Firefighters extracted two children from a second-floor window, Mr Roache said. One of those children died at the scene, while the other passed away at a nearby hospital, he said. Soon after, responders found two more children dead inside the home.
There were seven people — one adult and six children — in the residence when the fire broke out, according to Mr Roache. The adult and two children survived. Four residents on the other side of the duplex also survived, according to USA Today.
It took more than two hours to extinguish the flames, Mr Roache said. He attributed the rapid spread of the fire to the home’s old age and its several concealed spaces.
Somers’ First Selectman Tim Keeney told NBC Connecticut the family had trouble escaping because of items blocking the doors.
“It’s a tremendous loss for the town,” Mr Keeney told the outlet.
Those who would like to support the family can send funds via mail to The Angel Fund, located at 619 Main St. in Somers, Connecticut, Mr Roache said.
