5:50PM IL: A number of people have R”L perished in a fire in Yerushalayim on Derech Hebron Street. According to preliminary reports, a woman in her 30s, two girls about 12, a girl about 7 and a two-year-old were pronounced dead on the scene.

5:58PM IL: United Hatzalah reports that two volunteers from its Psychotrauma Unit are currently stabilizing the Husband and Father of the woman and children who perished in the fire on Derech Hebron.

6:10PM IL: Police are operating on the scene and report the husband/father was not at home when the fire began earlier this afternoon. One of the possibilities is the mother R”L killed her children and took her own life. The woman was 36-year-old, two girls 12, a girl 7 and two-year-old.

The first on the scene, a MDA responder explains he saw smoke coming out of a window. “I climbed the stairs with firemen stairs and they broke in. The mother was found in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead soon thereafter. Firemen found the others on a balcony, all suffering from serious burns. CPR and treatment was attempted but here too, there was no option other than pronouncing them dead”.

Police and fire investigators are operating on the scene. Neighbors are speaking with them, expressing shock and horror, explaining just yesterday, Shabbos afternoon, mom was with her children in the park and everything appeared fine. In the interim, social media and other UNOFFICIAL sources are speaking of murder/suicide but this is not being confirmed by any official sources!!

Stay with YWN-ISRAEL for additional information on the tragic fire.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: MDA Spokesman)