Two children died yesterday after flames engulfed a three-bedroom house in which they lived in Mungle Town, New Longville, Clarendon.

They are four-year-old Brittany O'Connor and her one-year-old cousin, Chavoy Levy.

According to the Constabulary Communication Network, the fire started about 11:00 a.m. yesterday.

The police said the two children were at home with Chavoy's mother when she went outside to use a bathroom. On her return, she saw the house in flames.

She sought assistance from neighbours when she was unable to rescue the children.

The May Pen Fire Brigade was called and the blaze was extin-guished. A post-mortem was conducted on spot.

Father distraught

Meanwhile, Barry Levy, father of Chavoy, said that he was on the job when he was alerted by relatives of the incident.

Mr. Levy, a security guard, said that he was not sure how the fire started, but was told that the children were playing inside when the mattress in one of the rooms caught fire and spread quickly and trapped the children in the room.

"She (his common-law wife) alone couldn't control it and she was crying out for help, but by the time people came to assist, the fire was out of control," he sobbed.

The distraught father of five said nothing was saved except for a television. "Everything burned up, nothing nuh save," he said.

"Me have mi children dem, going to high school and their books are burnt up, every one of their books," he said sadly. "This is a big blow for us - the whole family."