PHILADELPHIA — Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that tore through a Philadelphia rowhome, killing 12 people, including two sisters and several of their children.
Specialists from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took photos Thursday morning and then entered the charred, three-story brick duplex.
While the cause of the fire is still undetermined, Philadelphia Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said Wednesday that firefighters encountered "heavy fire" in a second-floor kitchen.
The city's deadliest single blaze in more than a century took the lives of eight children and four adults. Officials initially reported that 13 people had died in the fire but later confirmed the actual number of fatalities was 12.
CBS News reported Wednesday that eight people escaped the building as the flames spread.
Officials have not released the names of the victims. They say 26 people had been staying in the two apartments.