Brother and sister die in blaze

An eight-year-old boy has died after a house fire in Manchester which claimed the life of his 19-year-old sister.

Fire crews were called to the three-storey property in Ashton Old Road, Openshaw, near the junction with Dawnay Street, in the early hours.

The siblings' 14-year-old brother remains in a critical condition after suffering 90% burns in the blaze.

A joint police and fire investigation is under way into the cause of the blaze, a police spokesman said.

Three adults and nine children were in the house at time of the fire, which started at about 0500 BST.

The children's parents are being treated at Tameside Hospital.

Their father received 20% burns and their mother was suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

Two other boys and a 15-year-old girl are also being treated after they inhaled smoke.

"I was woken up by loud screaming - there were kids trapped by a window"

Three other young children are being cared for by neighbours, a North West Ambulance Service spokesman said.

The road was closed while the fire was put out. The cause of the blaze is being investigated.

A neighbour, who told the BBC he only knew the occupants by sight, said: "They have only been in about seven or eight months. It's a tragedy."

Another neighbour, who witnessed the fire, described the scene as "horrendous".

"I was woken up by loud screaming. There were kids trapped by a window.

"A neighbour tried to get a ladder up to a window but the smoke was that bad, it was billowing, he couldn't get in... and then the kids went quiet.

"It seemed ages for the fire brigade to get here. I've never felt so numb, it was horrendous.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life."

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