Mother, 33, and her six children aged one to 15 are killed in a house fire despite their father’s desperate attempts to run into the house and save them
- Dad did not want to leave the scene after he tried in vain to save his family
- Neighborhood is distraught, says Mississippi man who knew the victims
- The blaze broke out in the middle of the night, claiming seven lives
- The six children were aged between 1 and 15 and their mom was 33 years old
- Cause of fire is not yet known but foul play is not thought to be suspected
A mom and her six children have died in a devastating blaze that ravaged a home in Mississippi.
The children’s badly injured dad managed to escape from the house in Clinton after trying to rescue his children, aged between 1 and 15, and their 33-year-old mom, The Clarion Ledger reported.
‘He was worried and concerned,’ Mark Jones, director of communications with the City of Clinton, said.
‘He did not want to leave the scene. He was very concerned about his family.’
Pictures show the charred wreckage after flames tore through the home in the middle of the night. The dad was the the only survivor of the fire that claimed the lives of his six children and their mom
The whole neighborhood was said to be distraught after the tragedy in Clinton, Mississippi
Jones said that the family were ‘some of the nicest people’ he’s met, according to the Clarion Ledger.
‘We ask for your prayers for this family, this father, as well as the firemen with Clinton Fire Department who had to see this as well,’ Jones said.
A neighbor paid tribute to the family, who have not been identified, as he told WLBT3 they were ‘really good folks’ whose deaths have left the whole neighborhood distraught.
Video shows the local man describing Clinton residents’ shock at the tragic consequences of the blaze.
‘I’ve known these kids ever since they moved into this neighborhood and they were really good folks,’ he said.
‘The kids were really nice and the whole neighborhood is distraught. It’s devastating. It’s heartbreaking,’
The children were aged between 1 and 15 and their mom was 33-years-old. The dad tried in vain to save them
Clinton residents have paid tribute to the victims – who have been described as ‘really good folks’
The fire broke out at about 12.30am on Saturday morning on Old Vicksburg Road and Hobby Farm Road, Jeff Blackledge, the Clinton fire chief said.
Pictures show the charred wreckage of after flames tore through the building.
The father of the family was taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation, burns and cuts and bruises.
The State Fire Marshall has been called in to lead the investigation. The cause of the fire is not thought to be known but foul play is not suspected, WLBT3 reported. The home’s age, which was built in 1951, may have been a factor.
Firefights with four fire engines and a ladder truck are thought to have battled for about 45 minutes to control the blaze.