Philadelphia fire kills at least 13, including 7 children

The deadliest single fire in Philadelphia in at least a century has killed 13 people, including seven children, and sent two people to hospitals.

Those numbers could grow after officials said at a news conference hours after the fire early Wednesday that 26 people were staying at the duplex rowhome.

It appears that as many as eight people were able to escape.

The cause is still being investigated.

A fire official says there were four smoke detectors in the building but that none appeared to be working.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority owned the house.

It says the alarms had been inspected annually and at least two had been replaced in 2020.