Five die in house blaze

Five people were killed in a massive house blaze today, a Fire Service spokesman said.

The victims were discovered by fire crews called to the semi-detached house on Somerville Road, in Leicester, just after 5am.

More than 30 firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze but five people who were in the house at the time were found dead.

A spokesman for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "At 5.05am firefighters were called to a house on fire on Somerville Road in the Rowley Fields area of Leicester.

"The first crew on the scene were faced with a severe fire, involving a semi-detached house.

"Approximately 30 firefighters from three city stations extinguished the blaze, using two main jets.

"Five persons in the house at the time of the fire have tragically died.

"Officers from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, in conjunction with Leicestershire Constabulary, are carrying out an investigation into the cause of the fire."