A Tuesday morning house fire claimed the lives of two minors in Lowndes County.
Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant identified the victims as Willie Baldwin, 15, and Taeveion Kidd, 10. Four other family members were injured, he said.
Lowndes County Fire Coordinator Neal Austin told The Dispatch that the blaze started at about 3:30 a.m. at a home off of Deer Trail in the New Hope area. Both children lived in the home, Merchant said.
Firefighters from Districts 1 and 3 responded to the scene, Austin said. Firefighters attempted to conduct an emergency search, he said, but the fire was too advanced.
Three of those injured were hospitalized, Merchant said. One was brought to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, while the other two were brought to University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
Lowndes County School District Superintendent Sam Allison acknowledged the passing of the two children at a graduation ceremony for Project SEARCH on Tuesday morning, as both were LCSD students.
“There are no words to convey the heartache that comes with the passing of children,” Allison said in an email to The Dispatch later in the afternoon. “Our hearts are broken, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this challenging time.”
Austin said the cause of the fire is unknown, and the state fire marshal’s office will be assisting the investigation.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 38 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
