6 people, including 3 children, killed in Georgia house fire that injured 5 other occupants

NEWNAN, Ga. (AP) — Six people, including three children, were killed in a fire that destroyed a southwest Atlanta home early Monday, the local coroner said.

The children were ages 6, 12 and 13, the Coweta County coroner’s office said. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The oldest victim was 70 years old, authorities said. Their identities were not immediately released.

There were 11 people inside the home and the five survivors were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, the Coweta County Fire Department said in a statement. Some of the survivors have “serious injuries,” the agency said.

Firefighters were dispatched to the home just north of Newnan, Ga., at 4:57 a.m.

“The first unit arrived within 9 minutes and found that more than 50 percent of the home was engulfed in flames, with the fire coming from the roof,” Coweta County Fire Department said.

A Coweta County firefighter suffered minor injuries, firefighters said.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends impacted by this tragic loss,” the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “We ask everyone to keep the victims and their loved ones in their thoughts and prayers. »

Newnan is approximately 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Atlanta.

Coweta County firefighters are working with county and state fire marshals and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office to determine the cause, authorities said.