Seven children, all members of a Syrian family who arrived in Canada about two years ago, died in an early morning fire Tuesday that witnesses said quickly engulfed a home in a Halifax suburb.
A woman who lives next door on Quartz Drive in Spryfield said the family included seven children ranging in age from three months to 17 years old.
A man and woman remained in hospital Tuesday afternoon, the man with life-threatening injuries. The woman was expected to survive her injuries.
In a brief interview from the hospital, Imam Abdallah Yousri of the Ummah Mosque and Community Centre in Halifax said the family was originally from Raqqa, Syria.
Danielle Burt, who lives next door to the family, said she heard a loud bang and a woman screaming just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
She fled the house with her four children and saw the parents outside in a harrowing scene.