ARIZONA, Dec 20 (BBC): A father was Christmas shopping when his four children and a young relative died in an Arizona house fire, police said. The fire tore through the two-storey home on Saturday evening, authorities said on Monday, leaving no survivors.
Four children, ages 2, 4, 5 and 13 were siblings, while an 11-year-old was a visiting relative. Officials are investigating the fire and have not released the names of the children or father.
The fire broke out in Bullhead City, 100 miles (160km) south of Las Vegas, just before 17:00 local time (1:00 GMT) on Saturday.
"The children's father reported to investigators that he was gone for approximately 2.5 hours to buy groceries and Christmas gifts," Bullhead City police said in a statement.
The preliminary investigation found that the fire originated in the downstairs entranceway, "most likely making it impossible for the children in the upstairs bedroom to get out of the residence safely", authorities said.
Five children perish in US house fire
FE Team | Published: December 20, 2023 21:30:48
Five children perish in US house fire
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