A 13-year-old girl has died in a house fire in which five other children and two adults managed to escape.
The house fire happened at a home in Kingsway, Prescot, Merseyside, at 11.42pm yesterday.
A neighbour told the Liverpool ECHO how they heard a man scream ‘jump, I’ll get you outside the window’.
Floral tributes and messages have been laid down at the scene, to a girl identified locally as Layla.
One of the tributes reads: ‘I will forever miss you Layla, fly high my beautiful friend. Love you forever. Thank you for being you.’
A neighbour near the home which is believed to have been recently renovated said: ‘I never expected the little girl to die. My granddaughter was friends with her, she used to play with the kids outside the house. She’s heartbroken.
‘There was a man shouting, “jump, I’ll get you” outside the window.’
A joint investigation between Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire and Rescue has been launched to identify the cause of the fire.
Detective Inspector Steven O’Neill said: ‘Our thoughts are with the family of the young girl at this very sad time. A joint investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing and the girl’s family is being supported by specially trained officers.’
A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue said: ‘MFRS Fire Control received a 999 call at 11.42pm last night, Wednesday 2 April, with three fire engines on scene shortly after.
‘On arrival, firefighters found one mid-terraced house with a fire located in the first-floor rear bedroom.
‘Four firefighters were committed in breathing apparatus (BA) to extinguish the fire and search for occupants.
‘A man, woman and five children were able to escape from the property unharmed.
‘Sadly, a 13-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Her family are aware and are being supported by specially trained officers.
‘The fire was extinguished at 00.29am this morning, with natural ventilation taking place, and utilities to the premises were isolated.
‘Neighbouring properties were checked for fire and smoke spread. The property of origin was checked for further hotspots as fire crews monitored temperatures to the first floor, roof space, and externally.’
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