2 children dead after house fire Monday in East Akron; boy, 10, and girl, 8, were siblings
Two siblings, a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, died after being caught in a house fire Monday evening in Akron.
The children were identified as Fatumata Jabateh, 8, and Abou Jabateh, 10, by the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office. Akron Public Schools said Fatumata was a pupil at Seiberling Community Learning Center and Abou was a pupil at Barber CLC.
The children were found inside the house unresponsive, the medical examiner's office said. They were transported to Akron Children’s Hospital and were pronounced dead in the emergency room.
The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the children were siblings.
What we know about the fire that killed 2 siblings in Akron
Akron firefighters were called at 6:54 p.m. to a two-story home in the 1200 block of Seventh Avenue in the city's East Akron neighborhood. Firefighters found smoke showing from second-floor windows. The fire was reported under control by 7:37 p.m.
A neighbor who called 911 said she could see thick black smoke coming out from windows and the top of the house. The caller said her uncle banged on the door but no one responded.
Firefighters took the two children out of the home and transported them to the hospital.
The American Red Cross and Victim Assistance were contacted to provide support to others who were displaced by the fire. There were no other injuries reported.
Cause of fatal fire in Akron under investigation
The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation, the Akron Fire Department said. The State Fire Marshal's Office and Akron fire investigators were going through the house Tuesday.
There was a smoke alarm in the house, but firefighters are not sure if the detector was working.
The children apparently were the only ones home when the fire started, according to the fire department. The children's mother arrived at the home shortly after firefighters arrived, Capt. Sierjie Lash said.
The home is in a residential neighborhood west of Kelly Avenue, near where Seventh Avenue meets Homestead Street.
The Akron Fire Department, in collaboration with the American Red Cross, provides free smoke alarms to anyone who requests them. The fire department installs the smoke alarms for free.
Beacon Journal reporter Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him @JimMackinnonABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/JimMackinnonABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 2 siblings, ages 8 and 10, dead after house fire Monday in Akron
