Philadelphia fire kills at least 12, including 8 children

By RON TODT and CLAUDIA LAUER
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The deadliest single fire in Philadelphia in at least a century has killed 12 people, including eight children, and sent two people to hospitals. At a news conference, officials said 26 people were staying at the duplex rowhome. It appears that as many as eight people were able to escape. The cause of the fire, which started before 6:30 a.m., is still being investigated. A fire official says none of the four smoke detectors in the building appeared to be working. The Philadelphia Housing Authority owned the duplex. It says the alarms had been inspected annually and at least two had been replaced in 2020.