INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Two young children died Sunday from
injuries they sustained in a house fire that killed two of their
siblings and their parents, an Indianapolis Fire Department spokeswoman
said.
Miranda Guerra, 14, and her 6-year-old brother, Fuentes,
were pronounced dead Sunday afternoon at Riley Hospital for Children,
Capt. Rita Reith said.
The extended family was working with the hospital for possible organ procurement, Reith said.
"We believe this to be the largest single loss of life for a family due to fire in the IFD service
district," Reith said.
The
two children had been considered in "extreme critical" condition
following the fire, which happened Saturday morning on Indianapolis’
east side.
Authorities said Lionel "Leo" Guerra, 47, and his
33-year-old wife, Brandy Mae, were pronounced dead shortly after
arriving at Eskenazi Hospital on Saturday. The couple’s 11-year-old son,
Esteban, and 8-year-old daughter, Blanquita, were pronounced dead
Saturday at Riley Hospital.
WTHR-TV reported a fifth, older
sibling, Luis Guerra, had been keeping a vigil at Riley Hospital for
Miranda and Fuentes. His age was not reported, and it wasn’t clear where
he was at the time of the fire.
Investigators have not found the cause or place of origin for the fire, but they do not suspect any foul
play, Reith said.
Investigators did not find any smoke detectors in the home, she said.
The
home is adjacent to a busy Interstate 70 overpass, and a motorist on
that highway reported the fire about 9:10 a.m. Saturday, Reith said.
Subsequent 911 calls led crews to the home’s exact location in a
lower-income neighborhood with a mix of small homes next to an
industrial corridor.
Firefighters found the six victims
unconscious inside the small bungalow-style home and brought them
outside, starting efforts to resuscitate them on the lawn, Reith said.
The
latest deaths brought the total number of fire deaths in the city fire
department’s service district to 10 for this year, Reith said.
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