Child Killed In Miami Apartment Fire

May 16, 2006
Investigators do not yet know what caused the fire

Two children were pulled from an apartment fire in Little Haiti on Monday morning, but one of the girls has died of her injuries, authorities said.

The fire broke out in an apartment in the 6300 block of Northwest First Court. A 2-year-old girl was rescued by a neighbor, David Williams, who was able to find the girl in the smoke because he was accompanied by her father.

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Williams could not find the girl's sister, who was 3 or 4 years old, because the smoke was too thick. They had to wait for firefighters to arrive and extinguish the worst of the flames before they could find the older girl.

The older girl was taken to Ryder Trauma Center, where she succumbed to severe burns and smoke inhalation, officials said.

Several neighbors claimed the girls were left unsupervised in the home by their mother, who operates a convenience store called the Rose Market about a half block away from the apartment, NBC 6's Nick Bogert reported.

Investigators do not yet know what caused the fire, but they said they believe it was accidental. They are investigating the stories that the girls might have been left unsupervised, Bogert reported.

The investigation was hindered Monday afternoon by the torrential rains and lightning in the area.

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