A YOUNG TEENAGER has died in England this morning after sustaining injuries in a house fire that killed five of his siblings.
Duwayne Philpott, 13, was on life support since Friday’s east midlands fire but the machine was turned off today, making him the sixth victim of the tragedy.
Derbyshire Police confirmed the boy’s death this morning as they continue to investigate the circumstances of the fire at Victory Road, Allenton in Derby in the early hours of Friday morning.
They said he lost his fight for life overnight in the Birmingham Children’s Hospital with his parents at his bedside.
His sister Jade (10), brothers John (9), Jack (7), Jessie (6) and Jayden (5) all died in the fire as they were asleep upstairs in the house. Their father, Mick, made “valiant attempts” to save them, according to BBC News.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterill said, “I am sad to confirm the news that Duwayne has dies as a result of the injuries he suffered in the fire.”
A spokesman from Birmingham Children’s Hospital said: “Despite the intensive care team’s greatest efforts, the injuries that Duwayne received in the fire were too great for him to survive.”
Both expressed their deepest sympathies to Mr and Mrs Philpott at this “distressing” and “difficult” time.
Police are treating the fire as suspicious but Coterill added that the investigation is “still at an early stage”.
“It should be stressed that we have not yet had the opportunity to speak to Mr and Mrs Philpott properly because they’ve been caring for their son in Bermingham,” he said in a statement.
The man and woman who were arrested in connection with the fire were released without charge on Saturday.
Appeals have been made to the public to come forward with any information that may be important to the case. Authorities specifically wish to speak to anyone who was in the Victory Road area between 3am and 4am on Friday morning.
“I want to thank the local community who have already come forward but I would urge anyone with any information, regardless of how insignificant you think it may be, to contact us,” said Coterill.
Mick Philpott is believed to have 17 children and was the subject of media scrutiny in 2006 when he asked for a larger house from the local council to accommodate his wife, girlfriend and 14 children.
He also appeared in a television programme with former Conservative MP Anne Widdecombe in 2007 and on ITV’s Jeremy Kyle programme.
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