Four dead in overnight house fire in Bootle, England
Four people have died and a fifth was hospitalised after a house fire broke out overnight in Bootle, Merseyside, with police and fire services now jointly investigating the cause.
A fire at a semi-detached house in Bootle, part of the Sefton borough in north-west England, has killed four people. Six fire engines attended the scene on Stone Square after the blaze broke out at around 03:45 BST.
Eight firefighters entered the property and found four people in an upstairs bedroom showing no signs of life, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said. A fifth casualty, who was already outside the house when crews arrived, was taken to hospital with burns.
Joint investigation launched
Merseyside Police officers are also at the scene, and a joint investigation with the fire service into the cause of the fire is under way. The street has been cordoned off, and fire officers were seen going door-to-door to alert neighbouring residents.
A neighbour said they heard shouting in the early hours but initially assumed it was an argument, only realising the severity of the situation after coming downstairs and seeing the fire engines outside.
No further details on the identities of those who died or the exact cause of the fire have yet been released by authorities.
