Two children lost their lives in a deadly house fire on Staten Island, while four other kids were injured. 

The children, who have not been publicly identified, five and six, were killed in a Van Duzer Street house in Fox Hills that went up in flames shortly before 10.30am on Friday. All six are siblings under the age of 10.

The five-year-old girl was pronounced dead on the scene, while the six-year-old was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.  

Four other children, between the ages of five and 14, were hurt in the blaze. All six were found unconscious by firefighters on the second floor, where the fire reportedly started. 

‘The entire second floor was engulfed in flames so much that the fire head was coming down the stairs,’ FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said. ‘We found the victims inside, all unconscious and needing to be removed.’ 

A five-year-old girl was pronounced dead on the scene, while a six-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital, where he later died

Four other children, between the ages of five and 14, were also injured at the Van Duzer Street home in Fox Hills around 10.30am. All six children were found unconscious on the second floor of the home, where the fire reportedly started 

‘Tragically, we lost two young children here today and two more are in critical condition,’ FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at a press conference. 

A firefighter also suffered a minor injury and was hospitalized. 

The cause of the fire is unknown and it is currently under investigation. 

Within three minutes of the 911 call, the New York Fire Department (FDNY) arrived. A dozen FDNY units and 60 firefighters assisted the scene and the fire was put out within an hour. 

Authorities do not believe any adults were home when the blaze started. 

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‘We do not believe there was anyone other than the teenagers there,’ Kavanagh said at a press conference. 

The mother is said to have been hospitalized after the incident due to ‘shock,’ after she fainted in the hospital. She is in stable condition, the Staten Island Advance reported. 

CBS New York spoke to a neighbor who said they heard the kids on the inside, but no one was able to safely reach them in time.

‘Kids were in there. We heard the stomping, the kids trying to get out. I couldn’t get in there, but somebody else got in there. They got in there late, at a late moment, and the fire was so hot. The person got out, but the kids didn’t get out safe. It’s so sad,” Jessica Simon said. 

Two were hospitalized in critical condition, as well as a firefighter, who sustained minor injuries, and their mother, who was admitted after fainting at the hospital

Firefighters do not believe any adults were home at the time of the blaze, which started on the second floor, trapping all six kids, who are believed to be siblings

The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation. A dozen FDNY units and 60 firefighters responded to the scene within three minutes of the 911 call

The news outlet also spoke to the family’s eldest sibling, 26, who was not home at the time of the blaze, but is devastated by his family’s profound loss. 

‘They was joy, joyful heart and always played around,’ Xavier Venable said of his home.

‘I didn’t think anything like this, nothing like this, is ever expected to happen,’ he said. ‘It’s a lot to process right now. Yeah, especially before Christmas. We have presents in the basement. You know what I’m saying? I don’t know if they’re still there.’