An eight-month-old infant died and five other children were injured in a fire at their house early Sunday while their parents were out at a nightclub, police said.
The Nashville Fire Department responded to the residence at 2 a.m. Sunday morning to find heavy smoke and flames coming from their apartment unit, the city of Nashville said in a statement.
Five children were rescued and taken to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. But the eight-month-old infant, identified as Jream Jenkins, died at the scene, according to the city.
Jenkins’ 23-month-old brother remains in critical condition at the hospital. Both the infant and the brother lived at the residence.
The parents, both 23 and 25-year-old mothers who were friends, went out to a nightclub Saturday night. Neither woman has been identified by authorities.
It is unclear whether they hired a babysitter to watch over the children, prompting police to investigate further, according to a statement from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
When officers arrived at the residence, they were not able to locate a babysitter. But both mothers returned to the apartment complex after first responders arrived at the scene.
The surviving children remain hospitalized at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital as of Sunday evening, the Tennessean reported.
Multiple agencies — including police, fire, and the state’s Department of Children’s services — are investigating the incident to find out more.
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