10 members of same family, including 5 children, killed in house fire in Peru

Ten members of the same family, including five children, were killed when a fire tore through a home in Peru’s capital, according to police. Relatives said the family had previously been targeted by extortionists.

The fire broke out at about 3 a.m. Wednesday at a two-story home in La Victoria, a district in central Lima. Three families lived at the property.

Police said nine of the 10 victims had the last name Vílchez. The children were a 3-year-old, two 6-year-olds, an 8-year-old and a 15-year-old.

Relatives identified the five adults as Leónidas Vílchez, 72; José María Vílchez, 42; Orestes Vílchez Cuadros, 29; Paola Vílchez Cuadros, 35; and Katherine Gómez, 29, according to Peruvian broadcaster RPP.

Relatives told RPP that the family rented electric motorcycles and stored them at the property. They said family members and neighbors had previously been targeted by extortionists and believe the fire may have been an act of retaliation.

Police said investigators are still working to determine how the fire started. The area has been secured while fire investigators and forensic experts examine the property.