A woman and three children died in a house fire in Bootle, Merseyside, early on Wednesday morning. Emergency services were called to the semi-detached property at 3:38 a.m., deploying six fire engines and eight firefighters to tackle the blaze.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the home and discovered the four victims in an upstairs bedroom, where they showed no signs of life. Another man sustained serious burns after reportedly breaking windows in an attempt to rescue those trapped inside and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.

Chief fire officer Nick Searle described the fire as intense and rapidly spreading. A police cordon remains in place as authorities continue investigating the cause of the fire.

Neighbors recounted hearing shouting prior to the blaze, initially mistaking it for an argument. Some are reported to have tried to assist those inside the property. An official inquiry into the incident has been launched.