Three young children have burned to death after they were left locked in their home by their mum while she went out to a bar.

The tragic accident took place in the city of Rio Branco in the northern Brazilian state of Acre on the night of 19th December.

Diogo Monteiro de Freitas, 4, Caio Monteiro de Freitas, 2, and Vitoria Sofia Monteiro de Freitas, 8 months, perished in the blaze.

According to local media, distraught mother Jociane Monteiro, 23, was arrested and taken to the local police station before being released the following day. She will later face trial for the crime of neglect.

Investigators believe the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in a fan.

The wooden building of approximately 12 square metres (129 square feet) was completely engulfed in flames.

Neighbours heard the children’s screams and tried to rescue them. However, the house was padlocked while the mother went to a nearby bar and they were unable to get them out.

The fire brigade was called and swiftly arrived at the scene. However, it was too late to save the children, and firefighters were only able to stop the flames from spreading to neighbouring houses.

The young victims were buried on 20th December. It is unclear if the suspect was released in time to attend the funeral.

The investigation continues.

The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.