LAKE OZARK, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say four children have been found dead inside a house destroyed by fire in Missouri.
Lake Ozark Fire Protection District assistant chief Matt Birdsley said in a news release that firefighters rushed to the home just before 1 a.m. Thursday. Birdsley says crews tried to search the property but the fire was too fierce.
Birdsley says a neighbor told firefighters it appeared the residents weren't home because their vehicle was gone. But a short time later the residents arrived and said their four children were in the home. The release says the children and two pets later were found dead inside. The children's names and ages weren't immediately released. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Lake Ozark is about 120 miles (195 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City.
