Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

2 Adults, 2 Children Killed In Oshawa, Ont., House Fire; 3 Others In Hospital

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Jan, 2018 01:32 PM
    OSHAWA, Ont. — Two adults and two children have been killed in a house fire east of Toronto that also sent three other people to hospital, fire officials said Monday.
     
    Fire Chief Derrick Clark said a man, a woman and two children — a boy and a girl — died in the morning blaze in Oshawa, Ont. The condition of the three people taken to hospital was not known, he said.
     
    "This is a tragic event," Clark told a news conference. "I want to offer my sincere condolences to the families, all the families involved in this."
     
    Firefighters faced heavy smoke and flames when they arrived at the scene a little after 8 a.m., and had to fight the flames from the outside before attempting to rescue those inside.
     
    "They knocked the fire down from the outside, knowing that there was reports of people trapped, and made entry and made their way up to the upper levels of the house," Clark said.
     
    At one point, fire crews had to pull back as conditions worsened before regrouping and resuming their search and rescue efforts, Clark said.
     
    The residence had been divided into a number of apartments, he said.
     
    "From our initial reports we have two units in this house, but possibly more," he said.
     
    The cause of the fire wasn't yet known, but damage was most extensive at the rear of the building, Clark said.
     
    Whether the home had working smoke detectors would be part of the investigation into the blaze, he said, noting crews faced difficult conditions.
     
    "This fire was at the height the snow storm this morning ... very difficult conditions, both for crews driving en route here as well as fighting this fire," he said.
     
    A woman who works at a nearby convenience store, CW FoodMart, said when she got to work, the home two doors down was on fire with smoke billowing out and flames shooting through the top floor.
     
    She said residents of the home often shopped at the store, including a family with two children and their mother.
     
    "It's very sad, very sad," said Elena, who didn't want to provide her last name.
     
    Oshawa Mayor John Henry said it's always upsetting when there's a loss of life.
     
    "To the families, we pass on our deepest sympathies," he said.
     
    Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal will be working with local officials to investigate the blaze.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Residents Asked To Reach Out To Lonely People, Invite Them To Christmas Dinner

    Residents Asked To Reach Out To Lonely People, Invite Them To Christmas Dinner
    FREDERICTON — New Brunswick's families minister is asking residents to reach out to people who may be alone for the holidays.

    Residents Asked To Reach Out To Lonely People, Invite Them To Christmas Dinner

    Drunk Man Drives Home An Ambulance Mistaking It For His Audi In Chennai

    Drunk Man Drives Home An Ambulance Mistaking It For His Audi In Chennai
    The businessman realised his mistake when his family questioned him about his car after he reached home in suburban Palavakkam, about 15 km away.

    Drunk Man Drives Home An Ambulance Mistaking It For His Audi In Chennai

    Indian-Origin Bank Employee Jailed For Money Laundering In UK

    Indian-Origin Bank Employee Jailed For Money Laundering In UK
    Jinal Pethad used the 'Dridex' Trojan malware in the scam, which involved the 29-year-old acting as the "personal bank manager" to money launderers Pavel Gincota and Ion Turcan.

    Indian-Origin Bank Employee Jailed For Money Laundering In UK

    Pot Activists Marc And Jodie Emery Plead Guilty To Drug-Related Charges

    Pot Activists Marc And Jodie Emery Plead Guilty To Drug-Related Charges
    Prominent pot activists Jodie and Marc Emery have pleaded guilty to a number of drug-related charges in a Toronto court.

    Pot Activists Marc And Jodie Emery Plead Guilty To Drug-Related Charges

    'Avery Keeps Me Going:' Survivor Recalls 10 Freezing Hours With Young Daughter

    'Avery Keeps Me Going:' Survivor Recalls 10 Freezing Hours With Young Daughter
    Kristen Hiebert has a tattoo on her arm, written in Arabic, that sums up her outlook since the night she and her young daughter almost froze to death on the side of a rural Manitoba highway.

    'Avery Keeps Me Going:' Survivor Recalls 10 Freezing Hours With Young Daughter

    South Indian Cuisine Not Just Dosas And Idlis: Chef Hari Nayak

    South Indian Cuisine Not Just Dosas And Idlis: Chef Hari Nayak
    South Indian cuisine is "very underrated" and goes much beyond idlis and dosas, says New York-based Indian chef Hari Nayak, who he is also working hard to dispel misconceptions about Indian food in general in the West.

    South Indian Cuisine Not Just Dosas And Idlis: Chef Hari Nayak