Two children were killed in a house fire that broke out late Wednesday night in New Jersey, including an 11-year-old girl who apparently tried to save her 8-month-old brother, who had been sleeping upstairs.
The mother of the children who died escaped with her other son, a 6-year-old boy.
The fire broke out on the first floor of the two-story home on Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City shortly before midnight, officials said. Responding firefighters encountered large flames and heavy smoke coming through the windows.
The 11-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene; her baby brother was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, about an hour after firefighters were called to the scene. Jersey City officials said it appeared the girl was trying to save her little brother's life.
Authorities went door to door and evacuated nearby buildings as the flames devoured the house where the children died; the fire was under control within 40 minutes, officials said.
The Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force is investigating the case.
