2 women dead in St. Matthews residential fire, Winnipeg police investigate

Two of the five people who were transported to hospital after a house fire near Winnipeg’s downtown over the weekend have died.

The Winnipeg Police Service said an 18-year-old woman and a 48-year-old woman died from their injuries and its major crimes unit has taken over the investigation.

The duo were among the three people who were transported to hospital in critical condition — the third person was said to be stable.

A total of seven people were assessed by paramedics Saturday. The firefighters responded to a call for a home in the 300 block of Agnes Street billowing with flames and smoke just before 10 a.m.

Fire crews battled for nearly five hours to get the blaze under control. The house sustained significant damage from fire, smoke and water. Two neighbouring homes were evacuated as well.

One of the neighbours, Frederick Thomas, said he smelled smoke early Saturday morning.

“There was a smell of smoke in our house and I thought it was downstairs, something was burning,” Thomas said.

“I heard sirens pass by. I thought it was nothing but I looked down the street and I saw huge engulfing flames.”

Investigators did not say how the two others who were transported in stable condition and two who were assessed at the scene were doing.

— With files from The Canadian Press