Five children under the age of 5 died when their home caught fire in the Selçuk district, in the western Turkish province of Izmir, on Monday night, the Turkish Anadolu agency reported on Tuesday.
The little ones, between 1 and 5 years old, were alone in the house, where their mother, 27, had locked them as a security measure while she was gone to collect paper, scrap metal and other materials to resell. The father is serving a prison sentence.
The Turkish media link this tragedy to the growing poverty of large sections of the population, which among others is reflected in the precarious conditions of the burned home and other similar ones.
The first investigations suggest that the fire may have broken out when an electric heater that the mother had left on to keep the children warm overturned.
According to Anadolu, three of the children died at the scene due to smoke inhalation, while the other two were taken to Selçuk State Hospital, but could not be saved despite medical efforts.
The Turkish authorities assure that the family received aid from municipal and state institutions.
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