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2 children dead after house fire in Akron

There is no word yet on what caused the fire in the 1200 block of 7th Avenue.

AKRON, Ohio — A 10-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl are dead following a fire at an Akron home on Monday evening.

According to a release from the Akron Fire Department, crews responded to calls about black smoke coming from the windows of a house in the 1200 block of 7th Avenue just before 7 p.m.

When fire companies arrived, they discovered smoke coming from the second-floor windows of the two-story, residential structure. Two children -- 10-year-old Abou Jabateh and eight-year-old Fatumata Jabateh -- were taken from the home and transported to the hospital in critical condition. They were later pronounced dead at a local hospital and are now under the jurisdiction of the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office.

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The fire was reported under control just after 7:30 p.m. There is no word yet on what might have caused the fire. 

The American Red Cross and Victim’s Assistance were contacted regarding support for remaining displaced residents.

On Tuesday, Akron Public Schools Superintendent Christine Fowler Mack sent the following letter to district staff notifiying them of the deaths of Fatumata and Abou Jabateh:

Dear APS Colleague:

We ask for your support and prayers today as we grieve the loss of two of our students. Eight year old Fatumata Jabateh was in second grade at Seiberling CLC, and 1o year old Abou Jabateh attended fourth grade at Barber CLC. They were in their home when it caught fire yesterday.

We know that you join us in conveying our condolences to Fatumata and Abou's family, and to the faculty, staff, and classmates at Barber and Seiberling who cared deeply for each of these children. We offer them any assistance the district can provide. Our counseling teams are available to anyone who wishes to talk with them about this tragic event.

Our entire staff joins us in expressing our deepest sympathies to everyone who loved these children and everyone they loved.

Christine Fowler Mack

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