Man and child dead, two injured after Halifax-area house fire: police

 Police said a 58-year-old man and 11-year-old girl were killed, and an 18-year-old man has been sent to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A spokesman for the RCMP said police responded to multiple calls about a fire at a duplex in Lower Sackville, N.S., at about 2:30 a.m.

Hutchinson said firefighters rescued three residents from inside the duplex.

The young girl was transported to the IWK Health Centre, where she was later pronounced dead, Cpl. Dal Hutchinson said.

He said the 58-year-old man died at the scene.

Hutchinson said officers borrowed a ladder from a neighbouring house to rescue a 46-year-old woman from a second-floor window. The woman suffered minor injuries, police said.

Hutchinson said he did not have any information on the status of the critically injured young man.

"The family going to require a lot of support from the community," he said. "It's a very tragic situation and difficult time for them right now, and our thoughts are with them."

Residents of the other side of the duplex escaped without injuries, he said.

Hutchinson said police and fire officials are in the early phases of an investigation to determine the cause of the fire, which is not believed to be suspicious.