Mother, 43, and Her 3 Young Children, Who Were Described as ‘Really Good People,’ Die in a House Fire

A mother and three of her children died in a house fire in London — and a man was taken into custody in relation to the tragedy.

Police were called to assist the local fire brigade at a home in Stonebridge, a neighborhood in the northwest part of the city, at about 1:22 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 24, per a press release from the Metropolitan Police.

Police said the victims have been identified as four members of the same family: 43-year-old Nusrat Usman, her daughter, Maryam Mikaiel, 15, and her two sons, Musa Usman, 8, and Raees Usman, 4.

A woman in her 70s and a 13-year-old girl from the same family were also taken to the hospital, and the teen remains in critical condition, per police.

Police said a 41-year-old man “was arrested at the scene in connection with the incident.” He was released from police custody, but was then “subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act,” per the press release.

The Mental Health Act permits a person to be detained and treated without their consent, according to the U.K.’s National Health Service website.

London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster spoke to reporters during a May 24 press conference, calling the incident “extremely tragic.”

“Upon arrival, firefighters were met with a well-developed fire,” Foster continued, adding that fire crews wearing breathing apparatuses were “able to rescue the woman and one of the children from the second floor, but they were later declared deceased at the scene.”

“Two children were discovered to have died in the fire as crews carried out [a] search,” she said.

Foster added that the Brigade’s special fire investigation unit is working closely with police to determine the cause of the fire.

PEOPLE reached out to the Metropolitan Police for comment on Sunday, May 25, but did not receive an immediate response.

Neighbors of the family were shocked and saddened upon learning of the news of the fatalities, with one eyewitness telling The Daily Mail they heard “small explosions” at the time of the fire, along with the smell of smoke.

Mohamed Labidi, a 38-year-old teacher who lives on the street, described the family as “really good people,” while speaking to the PA news agency. He added that he can’t “even look at the house right now,” per the BBC.

Neighbor Cecilia Marquis, 60, told the outlet, “I just feel numb.”