Image copyright Robert Short/CBC Image caption Seven children were killed in the fire

Seven young children, all believed to be from the same family, have died in an early morning house fire in the Canadian city of Halifax, police say.

A man and a woman were also injured in the fire that broke out around 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

Fire crews encountered a blaze that had quickly engulfed the first and second floors of the building.

Police did not identify the victims but CBC News has reported that a Syrian family lived in the destroyed home.

The family had been in Canada for almost a year-and-a-half and had arrived in Halifax about six months ago, Imam Abdallah Yousri told the BBC.

He said the family attended the Ummah Mosque, where the funeral will be held.

Mr Yoursi said the youngest child killed in the fire was just four months old and the oldest was 15.

A Halifax refugee resettlement organisation who sponsored them identified them as the Barho family in a Facebook post.

The father's injuries have been described as "life-threatening" and he was in a critical condition.

Authorities say it took about an hour to get the flames under control when fire and emergency services arrived on the scene.

They had been receiving multiple calls of a fire in the residence in Spryfield, Halifax, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

The two-storey home appeared completely gutted by the fire.

Halifax authorities confirmed that an investigation into the house fire is under way and said it is too early to speculate on its cause.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those who offered his condolences.

"Words fail when children are taken from us too soon, especially in circumstances like this," he said on Twitter.

"My heart goes out to the survivors of the horrible fire in Halifax this morning, and the loved ones who are mourning this tremendous loss."

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage also offered words of condolence, saying the community "is heartbroken and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the family".

A fundraising campaign has been set up to assist the surviving family members.</s>HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – The loss of one child is devastating. The loss of seven? Unimaginable.

But that’s the grim reality the Barho family faces after all seven of the family’s children died in a house fire in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The family from Syria sought refuge in Canada in 2017 to escape the civil war that’s decimated their home country.

The fire struck early Tuesday morning, Halifax Regional Police said in a statement. A neighbor said she heard a loud noise at the time the blaze started.

“I heard a huge bang … followed by a woman screaming, so I jumped up out of bed and looked out the back window, and all I could see was flames shooting out from the back door going out onto their deck,” Danielle Burt told CNN partner CBC. “It happened all so fast. The house went up really quickly.”

The father, Ebraheim Barho, was badly injured trying to rescue his children and is hospitalized in critical condition, according to the HEART Society, the East Hants, Nova Scotia-based refugee team that sponsored the family.

The mother, Kawthar Barho, escaped uninjured but is devastated over the loss of her children.

“She’s finding it difficult to accept what has happened, and she just repeats the name of her children over and over again and asks to see them,” HEART Society member Natalie Horne told CBC.

The children were identified in a post on the Facebook page of the mosque where their funeral will be held:

“For the past year and a half, the children have been able to enjoy life as kids should be able to: going to school, riding bicycles, swimming, having friends, running in the yard, celebrating birthday parties and hanging out with the neighbours on their porch swing,” the HEART Society wrote in an online post. “They loved every minute of it, and it seems impossible we won’t hear their laughter and feel their hugs again.”

The family received a warm welcome back in September 2017 when they first came to Canada. A YouTube video of the family’s arrival at the airport in Halifax shows the Barhos descending down an escalator as a small crowd, some waving signs shaped like maple leaves, cheered.

The family had planned on moving to a town north of Halifax next week, the HEART Society said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has worked to make Canada a welcoming place for refugees, expressed his condolences in a tweet, saying “words fail when children are taken from us too soon.”

Friends of the family started a GoFundMe page that by Wednesday afternoon had already raised more than $279,000 to help them with expenses, including finding a new home.

At a vigil for the children, held Tuesday night in front of the remains of the burned home, neighbors tried to grapple with the tragedy.

“I don’t think there are words for a mother right now, to have lost all of her children,” neighbor Melissa Hawks told CBC. “I hope she knows that the community is here for her and I hope over time she’ll be able to become strong again,”</s>By Aly Thomson, Brett Bundale and Michael Tutton, THE CANADIAN PRESS 

 



HALIFAX -- Seven children, all members of a Syrian refugee family, died early Tuesday in a fast-moving Halifax house fire described as Nova Scotia's deadliest blaze in recent memory.

Their parents, identified as Ebraheim and Kawthar Barho, were in hospital Tuesday, where Ebraheim was fighting for his life after apparently trying in vain to save his children.

Kawthar Barho was also injured but is expected to survive. Their children ranged in age from about three months to the mid-teens.

In a brief interview from the hospital, Imam Wael Haridy of the Nova Scotia Islamic Community Centre said the Barhos had fled that country's civil war.

"We're here in hospital with a desperate mother who lost seven of her kids," he said, noting that officials are conducting DNA tests to confirm identities before they can proceed with a traditional Islamic burial process.

"She's saying to us, 'Am I going to get my children back?' ... It's so hard. It's so sad."

Many people from Halifax's tight-knit Muslim community had gathered at the hospital, he said.

"People want to try to help, but how can we ... how can we provide her with anything?" said Haridy. "It's a shock. It's a tragedy."

The family is among 1,795 Syrian refugees who have come to Nova Scotia in recent years, including 345 privately sponsored refugees.

For the Nova Scotians who sponsored the Syrian family, the news of the deaths of the children they'd grown close to came as an "unthinkable" blow.

"I think everyone is devastated and our loss pales in comparison to the parents," said Natalie Horne, vice president of the Hants East Assisting Refugees Team (HEART).

Horne said the family arrived on Sept. 29, 2017. She said the children who died are: Ahmad, 14; Rola, 12; Mohamad, 9; Ola, 8; Hala, 3; Rana, 2 and Abdullah, who was born in Canada in November.

She said the family lived in Elmsdale for over a year and then came to Halifax to be closer to refugee support services, such as English-language training.

But she said they had missed the support of the community and the HEART society and had decided to return to Elmsdale.

The tragedy struck just days before the move back would have taken place.

"We were expecting them back in our community on March. ... It was a huge loss for the family, when they moved. And they were looking forward to coming back. The children especially," she said.

The group added in a Facebook post: "For the past year and a half, the children have been able to enjoy life as kids should be able to: going to school, riding bicycles, swimming, having friends, running in the yard, celebrating birthday parties and hanging out with the neighbours on their porch swing. They loved every minute of it, and it seems impossible we won't hear their laughter and feel their hugs again."

Halifax Fire Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum told reporters it was the deadliest fire anyone could remember in the East Coast province.

"Words fail when children are taken from us too soon, especially in circumstances like this," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet.

"My heart goes out to the survivors of the horrible fire in Halifax this morning, and the loved ones who are mourning this tremendous loss."

Danielle Burt, who lives next door to the Barhos on Quartz Drive, said she heard a loud bang and a woman screaming just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Burt fled the house with her four children and saw the parents outside in a harrowing scene.

"The mother was on the grass, praying I guess, bowing her hands down, and pulling on my husband's arm to call 911," said Burt, her voice breaking.

"She said the kids were inside and the dad was sitting on the steps. I think he had gone back in because he was really burnt. It was just awful."

Burt said her kids had become good friends with the Barhos children.

"They were just over at our house yesterday," she said. "It's just something out of a horror movie that you just never would wish on anybody."

Rich Farrell, who lives down the street, said he and other neighbours ran up to the house as soon as the fire broke out to see if they could help. First responders were not yet on scene.

"It's so frightening but in the space of 30 seconds, it went from what looked like a little bit of flame to the whole thing just becoming engulfed," said Farrell, standing on his porch on a bitterly cold, sunny day.

"You can't say for sure what happened, but it makes you think about fire safety and what you might be able to do to protect your family."

Imam Abdallah Yousri of the Ummah Mosque and Community Centre in Halifax said the family was from Raqqa, Syria.

He said the funerals would likely be held Wednesday or Thursday.

"Our entire municipality is heartbroken and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the family," Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said in a tweet.

Jennifer Watts, CEO of the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, said in an interview that staff members who worked directly with the family teaching English and providing services are heartbroken by the deaths.

"It is very, very sad this has happened ... for the Syrian community here and the wider community in Halifax," she said in a telephone interview.

"It's shocking and very sad. It's had an impact on our clients who knew them and on our staff who were working with them," she said.

Doug Hadley, a spokesman for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, said four of the children attended schools in the area -- two at Central Spryfield Elementary and two at Rockingstone Heights.

"We have additional staff in place at both schools to provide support to students. They will provide support on site for as long as necessary," he said in an emailed statement.

The family's home, which was extensively damaged in the blaze, is situated in a newly built residential neighbourhood. The entire backside of the home was gutted by the blaze, and adjacent homes were also damaged.

Colourful children's toys could be seen piled in the open garage. Nearby, mourners had placed flowers and a teddy bear at the foot of a lamp post.

A neighbour who did not want to be identified told The Canadian Press she had been startled awake by screams.

"We heard horrible screams and then got up and saw the flames," she said. "It was horrible. We called 911 but it took a long time to get through because apparently everyone was calling 911 at the same time."

The fire spread very quickly as they watched, she said.

"It was really scary," she said.

"I was nervous it was going to hit the house next door but it didn't. And then the fire crews finally got here, but there were flames shooting out the front of the house, like shooting out the windows. It was horrible."

When Meldrum was asked why a fire would spread so quickly through a new home, he declined to speak about the nature of the fire in question. But in general terms, he said: "New homes are built with light-weight construction. Once fire barriers are penetrated, rapid fire spread is possible in new construction."

Halifax District Fire Chief Mike Blackburn said the fire was very heavy when they arrived, but firefighters were able to "knock it down" quickly. He suggested firefighters were deeply affected by what they saw inside the home.

"They'll process this over time but it's very difficult and it's not going to get any easier," said Blackburn.

Watts said the immigrant services association was providing trauma counselling to friends and people shaken by the tragedy.

"This is a moment for all of us in our communities to think about reaching out to immigrants and newcomers who don't have all the family and friends in the community and building those relationships ... so that people don't feel alone and disconnected when something like this happens," she said.

A fundraising campaign, organized by family friends including the Imam Council of Halifax, has been launched to help the grieving parents.

"They have lost all their children," the Go Fund Me page, called Halifax House Fire Tragedy, said. "Mother is thankfully safe but the husband is facing life threatening injuries."

"We need to support them in facing their calamity and help them finding a new shelter and pay for expected expenses," the page said. "It's hard to estimate how much they'll need to restart their lives."

-- With files from Keith Doucette and Michael MacDonald.</s>HALIFAX -- Seven children, all members of a Syrian refugee family, died early Tuesday in a fast-moving house fire described as Nova Scotia's deadliest blaze in recent memory.

The children ranged in age from about three months to the mid-teens, according to a woman who lives next door in the suburban Spryfield neighbourhood.

A man and woman who escaped the fire remained in hospital Tuesday afternoon, the man with life-threatening injuries. The woman was expected to survive.

In a brief interview from the hospital, Imam Wael Haridy of the Nova Scotia Islamic Community Centre said the Syrians -- whose family name is Barho -- had fled that country's civil war.

"We're here in hospital with a desperate mother who lost seven of her kids," he said, noting that officials are conducting DNA tests to confirm identities before they can proceed with a traditional Islamic burial process.

"She's saying to us, 'Am I going to get my children back?' ... It's so hard. It's so sad."

Many people from Halifax's tight-knit Muslim community had gathered at the hospital, he said.

"People want to try to help, but how can we ... how can we provide her with anything?" said Haridy. "It's a shock. It's a tragedy."

The family is among the 1,795 Syrian refugees who have come to Nova Scotia in recent years, including 345 privately sponsored refugees.

Halifax Fire Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum told reporters it was the deadliest fire anyone could remember in the East Coast province.

"Words fail when children are taken from us too soon, especially in circumstances like this," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet.

"My heart goes out to the survivors of the horrible fire in Halifax this morning, and the loved ones who are mourning this tremendous loss."

Danielle Burt, who lives next door to the Barhos on Quartz Drive, said she heard a loud bang and a woman screaming just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Burt fled the house with her four children and saw the parents outside in a harrowing scene.

"The mother was on the grass, praying I guess, bowing her hands down, and pulling on my husband's arm to call 911," said Burt, her voice breaking.

"She said the kids were inside and the dad was sitting on the steps. I think he had gone back in because he was really burnt. It was just awful."

Burt said her kids had become good friends with the Barhos children.

"They were just over at our house yesterday," she said. "It's just something out of a horror movie that you just never would wish on anybody."

Rich Farrell, who lives down the street, said he and other neighbours ran up to the house as soon as the fire broke out to see if they could help. First responders were not yet on scene.

"It's so frightening but in the space of 30 seconds, it went from what looked like a little bit of flame to the whole thing just becoming engulfed," said Farrell, standing on his porch on a bitterly cold, sunny day.

"You can't say for sure what happened, but it makes you think about fire safety and what you might be able to do to protect your family."

The Barhos have been in Canada almost two years, Imam Abdallah Yousri of the Ummah Mosque and Community Centre in Halifax said.

Yousri said the family was from Raqqa, Syria, and originally settled in Elmsdale, north of Halifax. The family moved to Halifax three months ago, he said.

Yousri said the funerals would likely be held Wednesday or Thursday.

"Our entire municipality is heartbroken and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the family," Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said in a tweet.

Jennifer Watts, the CEO of the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, said in an interview that staff members who worked directly with the family teaching English and providing services are heartbroken by the deaths.

"It is very, very sad this has happened ... for the Syrian community here and the wider community in Halifax," she said in a telephone interview.

She said the Barhos came to Canada from Syria after being privately sponsored by a Nova Scotia group and they were using the centre's services.

"It's shocking and very sad. It's had an impact on our clients who knew them and on our staff who were working with them," she said.

Doug Hadley, a spokesman for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, said four of the children attended schools in the area -- two at Central Spryfield Elementary and two at Rockingstone Heights.

"This is a tremendously difficult day for both school communities," he said in an emailed statement.

"We have additional staff in place at both schools to provide support to students. They will provide support on site for as long as necessary."

The home, which was extensively damaged in the blaze, is situated in a newly built residential neighbourhood.

A neighbour who did not want to be identified told The Canadian Press she was startled awake by screams.

"We heard horrible screams and then got up and saw the flames," she said. "It was horrible. We called 911 but it took a long time to get through because apparently everyone was calling 911 at the same time."

The fire spread very quickly as they watched, she said.

"It was really scary," she said.

"I was nervous it was going to hit the house next door but it didn't. And then the fire crews finally got here, but there were flames shooting out the front of the house, like shooting out the windows. It was horrible."

When Meldrum was asked why a fire would spread so quickly through a new home, he declined to speak about the nature of the fire in question.

But in general terms, he said: "New homes are built with light-weight construction. Once fire barriers are penetrated, rapid fire spread is possible in new construction."

Meldrum said he couldn't comment on whether the home was supplied with natural gas or if it had a barbecue.

Halifax District Fire Chief Mike Blackburn said the fire was very heavy when they arrived, but firefighters were able to "knock it down" quickly. He suggested firefighters were deeply affected by what they saw inside the home.

"They'll process this over time but it's very difficult and it's not going to get any easier," said Blackburn.

Watts said the immigrant services association was providing trauma counselling to friends and people shaken by the tragedy.

"This is a moment for all of us in our communities to think about reaching out to immigrants and newcomers who don't have all the family and friends in the community and building those relationships ... so that people don't feel alone and disconnected when something like this happens," she said.

-- With files from Brett Bundale, Keith Doucette, Michael Tutton and Michael MacDonald</s>HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Seven children, all members of a Syrian refugee family, died early Tuesday in a fast-moving house fire described as Nova Scotia's deadliest blaze in recent memory.

The father, Ebraheim Barho, was reported fighting for his life after apparently trying in vain to save his children, who ranged in age from about 3 months to the mid-teens. The mother, Kawthar Barho, also was hospitalized with injuries but was expected to survive.

In an interview from the hospital, Imam Wael Haridy of the Nova Scotia Islamic Community Centre said the Barhos had fled Syria's civil war.

"We're here in hospital with a desperate mother who lost seven of her kids," Haridy said, adding: "She's saying to us, 'Am I going to get my children back?' ... It's so hard. It's so sad."

He said officials were conducting DNA tests to confirm the identities of the dead children before they can proceed with a traditional Islamic burial process.

The family was among 1,795 Syrian refugees who have come to Nova Scotia in recent years.

News of the deadly fire was a blow for the Canadians who sponsored them.

"Everyone is devastated, and our loss pales in comparison to the parents," said Natalie Horne, vice president of the Hants East Assisting Refugees Team.

Horne said the family arrived on Sept. 29, 2017. She identified the children as Ahmad, 14; Rola, 12; Mohamad, 9; Ola, 8; Hala, 3; Rana, 2; and Abdullah, born in November.

She said the family came from Raqqa, Syria, and lived in Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, for over a year before moving to Halifax to be closer to refugee support services, such as English-language training.

But she said the family missed the support of the community in Elmsdale and had been planning to move back in a few more days.

Police said the cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Halifax Fire Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum said it was the deadliest fire anyone could remember in the East Coast province.

"Words fail when children are taken from us too soon, especially in circumstances like this," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet.

Danielle Burt, who lives next door to the family, said she heard a loud bang and a woman screaming just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Burt fled the house with her four children and saw the parents outside in a harrowing scene.

"The mother was on the grass, praying I guess, bowing, her hands down, and pulling on my husband's arm to call 911," said Burt, her voice breaking. "She said the kids were inside, and the dad was sitting on the steps. I think he had gone back in because he was really burnt. It was just awful."

Rich Farrell, who lives down the street, said he and other neighbors ran to the house to try to help but the flames spread too quickly.

"It's so frightening, but in the space of 30 seconds it went from what looked like a little bit of flame to the whole thing just becoming engulfed," Farrell said.</s>The Nova Scotia group that sponsored the Syrian family whose home burned down early Tuesday morning are grieving the seven children who died.

"It seems impossible we won't hear their laughter and feel their hugs again," said Natalie Horne, a member of the Hants East Assisting Refugee Team Society, also known as the HEART Society.

The group sponsored the Barho family — refugees from the war in Syria — to come to Nova Scotia.

The Barhos arrived in September 2017, originally settling in East Hants, N.S., just outside Halifax. The Enfield Weekly Press posted video of the group welcoming the family when they arrived at the Halifax airport.

They moved to Halifax's Spryfield neighbourhood last year to be closer to the city, Horne said. But they were planning to move back to East Hants next week because "the kids really missed their school."

Horne said the father, Ebraheim, is in critical condition.

She said the mother, Kawthar, was not physically injured but has "undergone extreme emotional stress."

Horne said that after arriving in Canada, the children had been able to "enjoy life as kids should be able to — going to school, riding bicycles, swimming, having friends, running in the yard, celebrating birthday parties and hanging out with the neighbours on their porch swing."

Online, people have been offering condolences to the family and have been asking how to help.

Horne said it's too early to say since the mother is "not in a position to articulate what she needs right now."

Jennifer Watts, CEO of the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, says staff from the organization's crisis team are working with the family.

She says refugees come to Canada for a better life, which makes what happened to the Barho family especially crushing.

"I think people are so shocked and devastated. It's such heartbreaking news," Watts said

Watts said now would be a good time to think about reaching out to other newcomers who came to Canada as refugees.

"They will feel I think even more sensitive to this issue in terms of what has happened about who will support them and who will be with them," Watts said.

"So it's a time, I think for all of us, to gather stock and be a supportive community with one another."</s>"Words fail when children are taken from us too soon, especially in circumstances like this," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet.

"My heart goes out to the survivors of the horrible fire in Halifax this morning, and the loved ones who are mourning this tremendous loss."

Danielle Burt, who lives next door to the Barho family on Quartz Drive, said she heard a loud bang and a woman screaming just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Burt fled the house with her four children and saw the parents outside in a harrowing scene.

"The mother was on the grass, praying I guess, bowing her hands down, and pulling on my husband's arm to call 911," Burt said, her voice breaking.

"She said the kids were inside and the dad was sitting on the steps. I think he had gone back in because he was really burnt. It was just awful."

Burt said her kids had become good friends with the Barhos children.

"They were just over at our house yesterday," she said. "It's just something out of a horror movie that you just never would wish on anybody."

Rich Farrell, who lives down the street, said he and other neighbours ran up to the house as soon as the fire broke out to see if they could help. First responders were not yet on scene.

"It's so frightening, but in the space of 30 seconds, it went from what looked like a little bit of flame to the whole thing just becoming engulfed," Farrell said, standing on his porch on a bitterly cold, sunny day.

"You can't say for sure what happened, but it makes you think about fire safety and what you might be able to do to protect your family."

The Barhos have been in Canada almost two years, said Imam Abdallah Yousri of the Ummah Mosque and Community Centre in Halifax.

Yousri said the family was from Raqqa, Syria, and originally settled in Elmsdale, north of Halifax. The family moved to Halifax three months ago, he said.

Yousri said the funerals would likely be held Wednesday or Thursday.

"Our entire municipality is heartbroken and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the family," Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said in a tweet.

Jennifer Watts, CEO of the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, said in an interview that staff members who worked directly with the family teaching English and providing services are heartbroken by the deaths.

"It is very, very sad this has happened ... for the Syrian community here and the wider community in Halifax," she said.

Watts said the Barhos came to Canada from Syria after being privately sponsored by a Nova Scotia group and they were using the centre's services.

"It's shocking and very sad. It's had an impact on our clients who knew them and on our staff who were working with them," she said.

Doug Hadley, a spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, said four of the children attended schools in the area — two at Central Spryfield Elementary and two at Rockingstone Heights.

"This is a tremendously difficult day for both school communities," he said in an emailed statement.

"We have additional staff in place at both schools to provide support to students. They will provide support on site for as long as necessary."

The home, which was extensively damaged in the blaze, is situated in a newly built residential neighbourhood.

A neighbour who did not want to be identified told The Canadian Press she was startled awake by screams.

"We heard horrible screams and then got up and saw the flames," she said. "It was horrible. We called 911, but it took a long time to get through because apparently everyone was calling 911 at the same time."

The fire spread very quickly as they watched, she said.

"It was really scary," she said.

"I was nervous it was going to hit the house next door, but it didn't. And then the fire crews finally got here, but there were flames shooting out the front of the house, like shooting out the windows. It was horrible."

When Meldrum was asked why a fire would spread so quickly through a new home, he declined to speak about the nature of the fire in question.

But in general terms, he said: "New homes are built with lightweight construction. Once fire barriers are penetrated, rapid fire spread is possible in new construction."

Meldrum said he couldn't comment on whether the home was supplied with natural gas or if it had a barbecue.

Halifax District Fire Chief Mike Blackburn said the fire was very heavy when firefighters arrived, but they were able to "knock it down" quickly. He suggested firefighters were deeply affected by what they saw inside the home.

"They'll process this over time, but it's very difficult and it's not going to get any easier," Blackburn said.

Watts said the immigrant services association was providing trauma counselling to friends and people shaken by the tragedy.

"This is a moment for all of us in our communities to think about reaching out to immigrants and newcomers who don't have all the family and friends in the community and building those relationships ... so that people don't feel alone and disconnected when something like this happens," she said.</s>Seven children from same family die in Canada house fire

The victims were Syrian refugees, according to public broadcaster CBC.</s>HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) - Seven children, all members of a Syrian family who arrived in Canada about two years ago, died in an early morning fire Tuesday that witnesses said quickly engulfed a home in a Halifax suburb.

A woman who lives next door said the children ranged in age from 3 months to 17-years-old.

A man and woman remained in hospital Tuesday afternoon, the man with life-threatening injuries. The woman was expected to survive her injuries.

In a brief interview from the hospital, Imam Abdallah Yousri of the Ummah Mosque and Community Centre in Halifax said the family was originally from Raqqa, Syria.

Danielle Burt, who lives next door to the family, said she heard a loud bang and a woman screaming just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Burt ran out of the house with her four children and saw the neighboring parents outside in a harrowing scene.

"The mother was on the grass, praying I guess, bowing her hands down, and pulling on my husband's arm to call 911," she said, becoming emotional.

"She said the kids were inside and the dad was sitting on the steps. I think he had gone back in because he was really burnt. It was just awful."

The family has been in Canada almost two years, Yousri said, and originally settled in Elmsdale, north of Halifax.

Yousri said the funerals would likely be held Wednesday.

"Our entire municipality is heartbroken and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the family," Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said in a tweet.

Police said the cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Halifax District Fire Chief Mike Blackburn said the fire was very heavy when they arrived, but firefighters were able to knock it down quickly.

He suggested firefighters were deeply affected by what they saw.

"They'll process this over time but it's very difficult and it's not going to get any easier," he said.</s>HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Canadian police say seven children died in an early morning fire that witnesses say engulfed a home in a suburb of the Atlantic coast city of Halifax.

Investigators said Tuesday it’s believed the young children are all from the same family.

A man and woman remained in the hospital, the man with life-threatening injuries. The woman was expected to survive her injuries.

The Ummah Mosque and Community Centre in Halifax said in a Facebook post that the family is Syrian.

A woman who lives next door says the family included seven children ranging in age from 3 months to 17 years old.

Danielle Burt says she heard a loud bang and a woman screaming just after 12:30 a.m.
A house fire in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, kills seven children from a Syrian family.