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Mexico fire kills six children, one adult

AFP
MexicoUpdated: Dec 28, 2018, 11:20 PM IST
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Police line. Representative image. Photograph:(Zee News Network)

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The adult who died had been watching the children while their parents were at work, said prosecutor Jose Antonio Escobar.

A fire at a shack in an impoverished Mexico City neighbourhood Friday killed six children and their adult caretaker, authorities said.

It was not known what caused the pre-dawn blaze at the sheet metal-and-cardboard shack in the densely populated neighbourhood of Iztapalapa, on the sprawling capital's east side.

The adult who died had been watching the children while their parents were at work, said prosecutor Jose Antonio Escobar.

The fire was similar to another less than a month ago that was caused by a gas leak, said the top city official for the area, Clara Brugada.

"We're going to investigate (what caused the fire), but we will have to launch a campaign on how to use gas heaters safely in the winter," she said.

Iztapalapa is the most populous area in Mexico City, with 1.8 million inhabitants, many of them living in destitute conditions. The capital's metropolitan area is home to more than 20 million people.