4 dead, at least 2 critically injured in Louisiana house fire
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Authorities say four people were killed in an early morning house fire in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Friday morning. The ages and identities of the victims are being withheld pending family notification.
Baton Rouge Fire spokesman Curt Monte tells CBS News affiliate WAFB-TV that two other people — a 19-year-old and a 5-year-old — were transported to a hospital where they were listed in critical condition. Doctors are working to have the victims breathe on their own.
Neighbors say five children live in the residence. One of their friends, who was sleeping over when flames erupted in the house, ran to a neighbor's home to report the fire to authorities. It remains unclear if they sustained injuries.
"It's just heartbreaking. Family members are coming on scene and firefighters are heartbroken," Monte told WAFB-TV. "It's unprecedented what we've seen since the first of the year. It's a time this community needs to come together. We need prayers for this family. I believe we need prayers for our community. We need prayers for our firefighters. It's just part of the job you just hate to face."
To date, 10 people have died in house fires this week, according to WAFB-TV.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.