Two people have been killed in a serious house fire in Capel St Mary this morning.
An investigation into the cause of a house fire which killed a man and a woman in Capel St Mary has begun.
The fire service was initially called to a property in Chapel Close, off The Street, at 8.20am to reports that a semi-detached property was well alight.
Residents reported hearing cries for help from the house but could not enter the house to assist because of the intensity off the blaze.
Eleven fire crews responded from Suffolk and Essex to the incident.
On arrival, firefighters found a house filled with thick black smoke with flames coming from both the bottom and top floor.
They initially tackled the fire and then spent hours damping down hot spots to prevent it from spreading.
Paramedics and the police service were called to the scene.
Shortly after 10am Suffolk fire service confirmed two people had died in the tragedy.
Ian Bowell, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service area commander, said: "We received a call to a house fire this morning in Capel and sent two pumps from Ipswich.
"On route we got more information to say that persons were believed to be involved and when the first crews arrived we had a fully developed fire in a semi-detached property with smoke and flames coming out of the ground floor and upstairs windows.
"Fire fighter wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and tried to rescue the people who were inside the property inside at the time and I can sadly report that today, two people have lost their lives in this fire.
"That is absolutely tragic and this community in which they lived in is in a complete state of shock at this moment in time.
"We expect to be done within the next hour and then we will commence and investigation with our colleagues from the police.
"We will have a full multi-agency team working to identify the cause of this tragic event."
Fire fighters used an aerial ladder platform to work on the roof which the fire completely destroyed.
The fire spread to the roof of the neighbouring property and crews were forced to remove tiles so that they could completely extinguish it.
A woman in her 40s and two children who were in the house were taken to hospital as a precaution.
The house remained cordoned off overnight with joint investigation teams set to return on Thursday to continue their work.
Read more: 'It's heartbreaking' - Neighbours shocked after two people die in house fire
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