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Woman arrested after five children killed in house fire Woman arrested after five children killed in house fire
(40 minutes later)
A woman in her late 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murder after five children died in a house fire in Derby, police said. A woman in her late 20s has been arrested after five children, aged between five and 10, died in a house fire in Derby early on Friday. A sixth child, aged 13, is being treated in hospital.
The children who died were between the ages of five and 10. A sixth child aged 13 was being treated in hospital. Emergency services were called to a house in the Allenton district of the city shortly before 4am on Friday. Derbyshire police said two adults and six children were taken to hospital. The adults were suffering from minor injuries.
Emergency services were called to a house on Victory Road in the Allenton district of Derby shortly before 4am on Friday. Derbyshire police said eight people, including two adults and six children, were taken to the Royal Derby hospital. Police refused to confirm the identity of the family or any details about the arrested woman.
"Police can confirm that five children have died in a house fire," a spokesman said. At a press conference, assistant chief constable Steve Cotterill said the woman was arrested following the fire. Cotterill said detectives were keeping an open mind about its cause.
"A sixth child, aged 13, has been transferred to hospital in Birmingham for specialist treatment. The two adults are not seriously injured." The children's parents, neighbours and firefighters fought to rescue them from the first floor of the house. The father made a "valiant attempt" to save the children, police said.
The spokesman said the investigation into the cause of the fire was at an early stage and it would be wrong to speculate. He urged anyone who could help police to get in touch. Cotterill added: "Our thoughts are with the parents and the family of the children for their tragic loss and for the community of Allenton, who would of course known the children as they played."
Police closed off Victory Road to traffic and it is likely to remain closed for some time. He said he was not prepared to speculate on the cause of the blaze and he urged people not to read too much into the arrest of the woman.
The brick and pebbledash-rendered council house was badly damaged by the fire. The police force and Derbyshire fire and rescue service were conducting a joint investigation into the cause of the blaze. "It is a matter of a police inquiry, where we have to act very quickly to preserve any evidence which may feature later in an inquiry," he said.
Potentially, it was a murder inquiry, he said.
The arrested woman was being detained elsewhere in the city. He said there were eight people living at the house permanently, although others may have stayed on an ad-hoc basis.
All five of the children who died attended St George's Catholic primary school in Littleover, Derby, the school confirmed. A statement from the school said: "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and community at this sad time. Whilst this is under police investigation, we are unable to make further comment."
Neighbour Joe Peel said he was woken by his dog in the early hours. "I got up, I looked outside and it looked really foggy," he said. "I looked down the road and across the road one of the house's doors was just covered in flames.
"I grabbed my phone and started getting dressed as I was on the phone to the fire brigade. I ran out of the house, screaming to the neighbour to wake him up."
He said he could hear the man's voice, but could not get into the house because of the flames and smoke. "Two or three minutes later you could see the flames going up the stairs through the side window of the house. When the fire brigade came it was billowing smoke going up the road – it was absolutely horrible."
A police spokesman said: "Police can confirm that five children have died in a house fire. A sixth child, aged 13, has been transferred to hospital in Birmingham for specialist treatment. The two adults are not seriously injured."
The spokesman said the investigation into the cause of the fire was at a very early stage and urged anyone who could help police to get in touch.
A joint investigation is taking place by the force and Derbyshire fire service into the cause of the blaze.
Speaking at the scene, Gavin Tomlinson, area manager for the fire service, said all occupants had been rescued early in the incident. "Quite a lot of people were in the street trying to help as well," he said.
The incident was "frustrating, traumatic and tragic" for the family, relatives and firefighters who deal with it, he said.