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Family of five died in Estonia house fire

11 December 2019 12:28 (UTC +04:00)

Five people, including three children, died in a house fire in Tartu, Estonia on Tuesday night, APA reports citing ERR news.

At 11:58 pm on Tuesday, a resident of Ihaste reported a neighbouring house on Koidutähe Street was on fire to the Alert Center, the Rescue Board said.

"A neighbor reported the house was full of fire and smoke and the flames were starting to come out from under the roof. He had to start protecting his own house with a garden hose. Unfortunately, when the rescuers arrived, the picture had become much worse," spokesperson for the Rescue Board Marek Kiik told ERR.

While rescuers of Annelinn commando arrived within six minutes, it was practically impossible to enter the house at that point, Kiik said. The bodies of a man, woman, and three children were found by rescue workers.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The interior of the house, which was wooden and two-storey, was destroyed by the fire.

During the rescue, a leaking gas cylinder was brought out of the premises. The prosecution and the police will investigate the causes and circumstances of the fire.