Toddler twins die in Canada house fire

MACKENZIE, British Columbia, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- A house fire in Mackenzie, British Columbia, Tuesday claimed the lives of 18-month-old twins, police said.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the boy and girl were among five family members in the home when the fire broke out before 7:30 a.m., the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

The house was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, the CBC said.

The RCMP said the children's parents and another person tried to reach the twins, who were in a second-floor bedroom, but were driven back by the flames.

"This is a tragic loss not only for the family but also the entire community," RCMP Sgt. Syd Lecky said in a statement.

The cause of the blaze had not been determined and the victims' names had not been released.