Breaking News
Canada: House fire in Chestermere kills 7, including children
Seven people, including four young children, were killed Friday when a fire ripped through a home in Chestermere, Alberta, local officials say. The cause of the fire, which ranks among the deadliest in Canada in recent years, was not immediately known.
The fire happened at 2:30 a.m. on Friday when neighbors heard a “loud bang” at a home in the 300 block of Oakmere Close in Chestermere, about 14 kilometers east of Calgary. Photos from the scene showed that the back of the home was completely destroyed.
“Two related family units were in the home at the time of the fire,” Alberta RCMP said in a statement on Friday afternoon. “One adult male and four children were able to escape the fire; tragically, seven other occupants were unable to.”
Those killed were identified as a man and a woman in their late 30s, a 35-year-old woman, a boy and a girl aged 12, an 8-year-old girl, and a 4-year-old boy. The five people who survived the fire were assessed by paramedics, and the four children were taken to hospital as a precaution.
“The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Chestermere RCMP; however, the preliminary investigation does not indicate it to be criminal in nature,” RCMP said in the statement, adding that autopsies will be carried out in the coming days.
Chestermere Mayor Marshall Chalmers described the loss of seven people as “overwhelming” and expressed his gratitude to first responders. “Words cannot effectively express the devastation on our community,” he said. “Our hearts ache for this family, this neighbourhood, and the community at large.”
Neighbours say they heard a loud bang or explosion around 2:30. Multiple 911 calls were made as neighbours knocked on doors to make sure surrounding homes were emptied.
— Dylan Short (@DylanShort_) July 2, 2021
Looks like back of house sustained the worst damage. Roof and back are gone. @calgaryherald @calgarysun pic.twitter.com/spECnfIqCO
-
US News6 days ago
4 more cats test positive for H5N1 bird flu in the U.S.
-
Legal4 days ago
Boy, 16, shoots 10 people at Sanford, Florida event venue
-
Legal24 hours ago
Police kill ‘active shooter’ outside Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin middle school
-
US News1 week ago
2 killed in cargo plane crash near Fairbanks, Alaska
-
Legal5 days ago
Texas Amber Alert: Legend Torres abducted in San Marcos
-
World1 week ago
28 pilot whales die after mass stranding on Australian beach
-
Legal1 week ago
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov arrested for taking bribe
-
World2 days ago
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing 14-year-old boy