7 Syrian refugee children die in Halifax house fire

Seven children are dead following a devastating house fire in Halifax.

All seven are members of a Syrian refugee family that arrived in Canada two years ago.

Witnesses says the Tuesday morning fire quickly engulfed the home in a Halifax suburb.

The children ranged in age from three months to 17-years-old, said a woman to lives next door.

An older man and woman were both sent to hospital, the man with life-threatening injuries while the woman is expected to survive.

"We’re here in hospital with a desperate mother who lost seven of her kids," said Imam Wael Haridy from the Nova Scotia Islamic Community Centre.

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

Haridy added that DNA tests are underway to confirm the children’s identities before they can proceed with a traditional Islamic burial process.

Many members of the city’s tight-knit Muslim community have gathered at the hospital, wanting to help but unsure how.

Dave Meldrum, Halifax Fire deputy chief, told reporters that it’s the deadliest fire anyone could remember in Nova Scotia.

Words fail when children are taken from us too soon, especially in circumstances like this. 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.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 19, 2019

A neighbour, Danielle Burt, says she heard a loud bang and a woman screaming shortly after 12:30 a.m. today.

She fled the house along with her four children and saw the harrowing scene unfold in front of them.

"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."

Burt says her children had become good friends with the children lost in the fire, who were just over at the Burt’s house on Monday.

While the family moved to Canada two years ago, they originally settled in Elmsdale, just north of Halifax, before moving to the province’s capital city three months ago.

Members of various communities the family was involved in all expressed similar thoughts, calling it an extremely difficult and heartbreaking day.

Funerals will likely be held on Wednesday.

With files from the Canadian Press.