Three children have died in a house fire in Manchester and another is said to be in critical condition.
A 14-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene, while an eight-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl died in hospital.
The 35-year-old mother of the children is in a serious condition and is not yet aware that her children have died.
Greater Manchester Police are treating the fire as suspicious.
The BBC reports that there were seven people in the house in Salford when the fire broke out at approximately 5am.
Ch Supt Wayne Miller said that a manhunt is underway to locate the suspect.
He said:
“We have a suspect who we are urgently seeking in relation to this attack. All I am saying is he knows who he is and he should give himself up immediately.
“I stress that we are dealing with the murder of three children here. Any information, no matter how small, is very important to the investigation.”
Two other boys were also taken to hospital following the blaze.
One of them is believed to be a family member while the other is not.
A murder inquiry is ongoing.
