A four-year-old boy and his two-year-old sister died after a fire destroyed their apartment Friday in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward.
According to police, flames were seen coming from the third-floor apartment in Kameari at around 2:30 p.m., NTV reported. Twenty-three fire trucks were mobilized to fight the blaze which took about one hour to extinguish. The two children were taken to hospital where they died about three hours later.
The two children and their three siblings lived with father, 33, and mother 31. The father was at work, while the mother had gone out shopping. The three other children were not home at the time.
The parents said they had left a few lighters in the apartment and firefighters said the children might have been playing with them.
© Japan Today
8 Comments
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nath
I usually hate it when people criticize the parents in these situations, but with a 4-year old and 2-year old home alone (and lighters in the house), this does seem like negligence.
Tessa
According to news reports, the boy had recently become fascinated with fire play, and had been warned about it. It beggars belief that the parents still left lighters lying about. They must have been heavy smokers.
nath
Very sad! Totally unavoidable!! Who leaves lighters laying about with small children and who goes and leaves children two and four years old home alone? especially one who has recently become fascinated with fire?
Takuma7
What is wrong with these parents? Leaving lighters around and leaving young kids home alone! RIP little guys wish you had smarter parents.
Kevin Lee Brooke
Idiot mother.
LaWren
A 4 and 2 year old cannot look after themselves, let alone in an environment which isnt childproofed. Idiot parents cost the lives of their kids. Kevin, the FATHER is also to blame. He is also responsible.
Samantha Zoe Aso
What kind of person leaves a 2 and 4 year old home alone?????
Amidalism
I love how they announced that the 4 year old boy had recently been interested in lighters in their statement like it was just another case of "boys will be boys".
Putting the issue of the two children being left at home alone aside, he was 4 years old and there is absolutely no reason for him to have ever held a lighter in his hand once, let alone enough times to figure out how to operate it and become "interested" in it. I hope both the parents are charged with criminal negligence resulting in death and that child services takes their other children away.