A fire on Chicago's West Side killed eight children early Sunday and injured two others, one child and one adult.

Police told local TV news that the children ranged from three months to 16 years old.

Family members said some of the children were at the apartment for a sleep over.

Marcos Contreras, who lost siblings and relatives in the fire, said: "By the time we got here, the whole house was on fire, they were taking out my cousins, my brothers... I don't even got words to explain the pain I'm feeling right now."

All victims were on the second floor of a two-story brick building with an attic. The first floor was boarded up while the attic was a storage area.

Fire officials said investigators are looking into the fire's origin and cause, which is believed to have started on the second floor.

The building itself was totaled and the fire's heat was so intense that siding on buildings up to 70m away melted.

Officials also said no smoke detectors were heard and none had have been found.

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