'Pray for the families': 4 children killed in Thompson, Man., house fire
CBC
Four children under the age of 11 have died after being trapped inside a two-storey house that went up in flames in the northern Manitoba city of Thompson on Wednesday night, police say.
A 41-year-old woman who escaped the fire told police she was in the basement with a 62-year-old man when they heard the sound of a fire upstairs, an RCMP news release said.
They made it to the main floor but were forced out by smoke and flames.
Her five children, age four to 13, were upstairs. The eldest climbed out a window and jumped to escape, but the other four children didn't get out.
Shirley Robinson, a band councillor in Pimicikamak Cree Nation and a cousin of the children's mother, is acting as a family spokesperson. She confirmed Thursday that the children were Helen Joy Keeper, 10, Leon Keeper Jr., 9, Big Bear Keeper, 7, and Rowan Thomas, 4.
"It's so, so difficult right now. I pray we get through this together," Robinson said, adding that it was Big Bear's birthday on Thursday. He would have been eight years old.
Police responding to a nearby unrelated incident around 8:40 p.m. were the first emergency personnel at the fire after they heard a woman screaming from down the street and saw a significant amount of smoke, RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre said.
The house was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived.
Once the fire was under control, firefighters entered the house and found the other four children.
They were taken to the hospital, where they died from injuries sustained in the fire, police said.
The three survivors were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police and the office of the fire commissioner have not determined the cause of the fire and continue to investigate.
Robinson said she can't help but think about the potential all four children had.
"They would welcome you with a hug and a kiss when you saw them. They were really outgoing and I know they would have been here to help make a difference in our society," she said.
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