Fire in a children’s shelter in Brazil leaves at least 4 dead, 13 injured

(Reuters) – At least four people died and 13 were injured in a fire at a shelter for children and adolescents in Northeastern Brazil on Friday, the local fire department said.

Firemen were called to fight a fire at the Lar Paulo de Tarso charity institution in Recife, capital of the Pernambuco state, at around 4:20 a.m.

A boy and a woman died at the site of the fire, the firemen said, while the other two victims died on the way to the hospital.

Recife Mayor Joao Campos offered his condolences on social media.

“The moment is one of pain and solidarity. … The NGO has been providing shelter to children and adolescents in situations of social risk for more than 30 years. We remain mobilized to provide full support in this very difficult time,” he said on Twitter.

Governor of Pernambuco Raquel Lyra also took to Twitter to mourn the tragedy.

“Pernambuco is in mourning with what happened this early morning in Recife. … Firefighters and police are already working, as well as our health teams. I leave here my condolences to the families of the victims in this moment of pain,” Lyra said.

(Reporting by Fernando Cardoso in Sao Paulo; Editing by Mark Porter)