8 children, 2 mothers among dead in Philadelphia house fire

By RON TODT and CLAUDIA LAUER
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia fire officials say two sisters and several of their children were among 12 people killed when a fire tore a rowhome that apparently had no working smoke detectors. Eight children lost their lives. Officials say it’s the city’s deadliest single fire in at least a century. The blaze broke out Wednesday morning as 26 people were staying at the three-story duplex, which is public housing. As many as eight people were able to escape. The cause of the fire is still being investigated. The public housing authority says the home’s smoke alarms were inspected annually and at least two were replaced in 2020.