Neighbour helped kids escape fatal Withington fire Published duration 11 February 2017

image caption Robert Chilowa helped the children escape from the fire

A man has described helping children escape a house fire that killed two people after "hearing a scream".

Investigations are continuing after a man and woman died and five people were injured in the blaze at a house in Withington, Manchester, on Friday.

Four children, aged between 10 and 17, and a man remain in hospital in a stable condition, police said.

Robert Chilowa, who lives in the road, said he helped the children escape from a window of the burning house.

"I followed where the scream was coming from and I got to the house and saw there was fire," Mr Chilowa said.

"I turned around and there was this young girl there lying on the floor and she pointed at the window to say, 'please can you save my brother and my sister - ask them to jump?'.

"So both of them jumped and I managed to put them in a safe place."

image caption Police said the four children are in a stable condition in hospital

The three girls and one boy are being treated for smoke inhalation and compression injuries after jumping from the window of the house in Parsonage Road.

Formal identification of the bodies and post-mortem examinations are yet to take place but next-of-kin have been informed, Greater Manchester Police said.

Police dog teams were at the scene on Saturday as officers investigated the cause of the blaze in conjunction with the fire service.

It is believed the fire started in the living room at the back of the property, police said.

Parsonage Road between Parrs Wood Road and St Chads Road remains closed.

image caption The police and fire service began investigations at the scene on Friday