A murder inquiry has been launched after three children died following a house fire.
The mother of the youngsters – a 14-year-old girl, an eight-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl – is fighting for her life along with another sibling, a three-year-old girl, after firefighters rescued them from their home in Worsley, Greater Manchester.
Crews were called to the mid-terraced house in Jackson Street just before 5am on Monday.
Two people, thought to be 16-year-old boys, managed to escape the suspicious fire before the fire service arrived but five more in the property needed to be rescued before the blaze was doused.
The critically ill mother was named locally as Michelle Pearson, 35, while the 14-year-old victim was also named locally as her daughter, Demi.
A large police presence remained at the scene throughout the day as both ends of Jackson Street were cordoned off, with one end blocked by large steel barriers.
Forensic investigators were also in attendance as the joint police and fire service investigation continued.
Tearful locals stood at the end of the cordons as they consoled each other with hugs and embraces.
One woman, who did not wish to be named, said she knew the mother of the family, naming her as Michelle Pearson.
She said: “I have known Michelle for years. The family have lived here for a long time. We are all just in shock. There has been trouble round here before but it’s more wannabe gangsters, teenage stuff.”
The front downstairs windows of the fire-damaged mid-terraced house were boarded up while a blackened window frame of the upstairs front bedroom dangled loose.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service tweeted: “Sadly it’s been confirmed that three children have died following this morning’s house fire in Worsley, another child and a woman are in hospital in a very serious condition.
“This is a truly tragic incident and all our thoughts go out to the family.”
Detectives say they have “a suspect in mind” who they urgently want to trace and appealed to him to hand himself in.
Chief Superintendent Wayne Miller, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “The deaths of these three children is heart-breaking. Our thoughts are with their loved ones and the little girl and her mum who are in hospital fighting for their lives.
“We currently have specially trained officers with the family to help them through this devastating time.
“We have launched a murder investigation and have a suspect in mind who we are urgently seeking in relation to this attack. All I will say is – he knows who he is and he should give himself up.
“We are appealing for witnesses to the fire, anyone who saw anything or who may know the people involved to please come forward and tell us what you know.
“I stress, we are dealing with the murder of three children here. Any information, no matter how small, is very important to the family and the investigation.
“This is a fast-moving live investigation and we have a major investigation team with scores of dedicated detectives working tirelessly.
“I want to describe what this incident is. It’s the murder, using fire, of three children and we have a three-year-old girl fighting for her life who is seriously ill.
“This will devastate this family forever and words cannot describe what they are going through. We need the public’s help to find the answers the family deserve.
“We want to make arrests as soon as possible and we appeal to local people to help us in this.”
Anyone with any information should contact police on 0161 856 8797. Alternatively, call 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.