Six children perish in mobile home blaze

SIX children died when candles used to light a mobile home which had no electricity started a fire, authorities in the Mississippi town of Tchula said.

The four-month-old daughter of the home's owner was seriously ill in hospital, a spokesman said.

No adults were home when firefighters were called to the blaze at 1.43am yesterday morning, said Holmes county sheriff Willie March.

Three victims and the surviving baby were the children of Angela Williams. The other three victims were her

sister's children, who were spending the night.

Tchula fire chief Sharkey Ford said when he arrived at the scene volunteers were handing the children down a line from the trailer.

"We were looking for ones who had signs of life and trying to resuscitate them," he said.

"Not in the 30 years I've been here have we had anything as tragic as this."

Mr Ford said the trailer was one of the few homes in Tchula without utilities. Mr Marsh said the fire was apparently started by a candle , but added the state fire marshal was continuing an investigation.

The children were all in one room on the floor. Mr March said they probably died of smoke inhalation, but post mortem examinations would be performed.

He added: "Everybody's tore up, the chief of police, the mayor everybody. They just can't take it."