One dead, five hurt in house blaze

One woman has died and five people have been injured in a house fire.

One of the casualties is a teenage girl who is critically ill in hospital after suffering 70% burns to her body.

Emergency services were called to the blaze at the property in Cateswell Road in Springfield, Birmingham, at around 5am on Wednesday morning.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Services said four ambulances, a responder paramedic, two paramedic area support officers, the Hazardous Area Response Team and a Merit trauma doctor were sent to the scene.

She said: "When crews arrived they found the fire service tackling a large house fire.

"Sadly it quickly became apparent to crews that nothing could be done to save one occupant, a woman, and she was confirmed deceased on scene."

She said the teenager sustained approximately 70% burns to her body and was sedated at the scene before being taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

A 26-year-old woman sustained around 50% burns to her back, legs and arms. She was treated at the scene before being rushed to the same hospital for emergency treatment.

The spokeswoman added: "A woman believed to be in her 20s, who had reportedly jumped from a window, had leg, pelvis, shoulder and neck injuries. A fourth woman, believed to be in her 20s, sustained minor leg and shoulder injuries and a 55-year-old man had minor burns to his face and hands."

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said the cause of the blaze is not yet known and officers are working with the fire service.