Three children were killed in a house fire early Saturday morning in Carthage.
Leake County Coroner Earl Adams confirmed to WLBT that the victims were 11, 10, and 2 years old.
Emergency crews were dispatched to a home near the intersection of McFarland and Highland streets at approximately 3:26 a.m. The Carthage Fire Department and Carthage Police Department responded, along with the Leake County Sheriff’s Office and Leake County Emergency Management Agency.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Leake County School District Superintendent Will Russell confirmed two of the children attended schools in the district, where they were in the third and fifth grades.
In a statement, Russell extended condolences to the children’s loved ones, describing the victims as valued members of the school community who would be deeply missed by classmates, teachers, and others who knew them.