Young Siblings, Adult Woman Killed In Philadelphia Fire: Police

PHILADELPHIA — A Tuesday morning fire in Philadelphia killed two young siblings and an adult woman, according to authorities.

The fire started at about 12:55 a.m. Tuesday at a residence on the 3400 block of North Hope Street, police said.

Firefighters and police were called to the area for a report of individuals trapped inside a residence.

When first responders arrived, they found a fire in the residence's kitchen area.

First responders also found a 46-year-old woman, later identified as Nidre Annette Ayala, unresponsive on the stairs leading to the second floor. She was taken to Temple University Hospital in critical condition with significant burns. However, she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at 5:11 am.

Two children, 6-year-old Kataleya Garcia and her 5-year-old brother Sebastian Rodriguez-DeJesus, were found unresponsive in an upstairs bedroom with severe burns.

The siblings were taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where they were later pronounced deceased.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but said there is no indication of arson.