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A three-year-old boy has died after hiding beneath a bed while flames tore through his family home and trapped him inside.
The fire broke out in the Sao Miguel neighbourhood of Colatina, a city in the northwestern part of Espirito Santo state in southeastern Brazil, on the night of 29th May.
Victim Rike Goncalves dos Santos was found dead beneath a bed inside one of the rooms most heavily damaged by the blaze after neighbours and relatives failed to reach him in time.
Firefighters said residents had already managed to bring the flames under control before emergency crews arrived at the property.
Sergeant Inacio from the fire department said the heat inside the bedroom had become so intense that nobody could safely enter the room.
He explained: “When they realised there was a fire, the temperature was already extremely high, making it impossible to enter the bedroom.
“The only thing the residents could do was fight the flames through the bedroom window by throwing buckets of water until firefighters arrived.”
Friends of the family said Rike’s mother had stepped out briefly to collect another child who had been playing with other friends when the fire started inside the house.
Family acquaintance Alexandre Ambrosio said other children managed to escape before the blaze spread through the property.
He said: “When Rike saw the fire spreading, he hid underneath the bed.
“They tried to get inside the house to rescue him, but the flames were already too strong and unfortunately they could not reach him.”
Firefighters later discovered the child’s body among the charred remains of the destroyed bedroom.
Authorities said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The property suffered severe structural damage, with the roof and electrical system compromised, according to a technical assessment carried out by the Civil Defence department.
The home has since been declared unsafe and officially sealed off.
Local officials confirmed that Rike had been a pupil at the Nossa Senhora Aparecida municipal nursery school in Colatina.
In a statement, Colatina City Hall said: “At this moment of profound pain, we stand in solidarity with his family, friends, teachers and the entire school community.”
The child’s body was initially taken to the regional forensic unit in Colatina before being transferred to the Medical Legal Institute in Vitoria because of the extent of the burns.
Police and fire investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the blaze.
(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)
Byline Journalist: Marija Stojkoska
Byline Sub editor: Marija Stojkoska
Byline Spotter: Ivica Stojanovski
Byline Commisioning Editor: Angela Trajkovska
Byline Senior Writer: Marija Stojkoska
Byline Picture Editor: Joana Mihajlovska
Byline Copychecker: Marija Stojkoska
Byline Illustrator: Marija Stojkoska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Colatina
Subject: Accidents, Accidents Involving People, Building Accidents, Children
T4 Editor Story Rating: 6
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 6
T4 Total rating: 6
