Mother and young son killed in Modiin house fire

A mother and her young son perished in a house fire that broke out in the city of Modiin this morning, first responders say.

Firefighters say they saw thick black smoke emerging from a three-story apartment building in the city. Upon entering the burning building, they found a middle-aged woman and a 10-year-old child on the second floor, both unconscious with severe burns.

They quickly extricated them from the smoke-filled room for first aid, but Magen David Adom paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene.

Police say they are investigating the fire and suspect it was intentionally ignited in a criminal incident, Hebrew outlets report.

Fire and Rescue Service Commissioner Eyal Caspi and Central District Commander Roni Kedem are en route to the scene, a fire service spokesman says. The agency has formed its own special investigation team to probe the incident.