Ten members of an extended family, including five children, were killed in a fire incident at a two-storey building home in the La Victoria district of Lima, Peru’s capital.

The inferno occurred at about 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday and spread rapidly through the family’s residence.

The Peruvian National Police (PNP) confirmed that nine of the victims bore ‘Vilchez’ as their surname, adding that the fire claimed the lives of five adults and five children.

“I would like to express my condolences to the relatives of the Vilchez family, whose members have passed away. There are 10 victims, nine of them with the surname Vilchez,” PNP commander general Oscar Arriola said.

The officer said the victims included children aged between three and 15; four adults between 29 and 72; and another adult whose age was unknown.

Reports said the fire was brought under control by the General Corps of Volunteer Firefighters of Peru (CGBVP), which deployed no fewer than nine units to respond to the emergency.

Peruvian news outlet Andina reported that a source said the family, which manufactured mattresses and owned electric motorcycles, had been receiving threats over alleged extortion for nearly a month.

It added that unknown suspects allegedly set fire to the family’s electric motorcycles before the blaze rapidly spread after coming into contact with the flammable materials used for the family’s mattress production.

The police, forensic experts, the country’s public prosecutor’s office, and the criminal investigation department have commenced investigations to determine the cause of the incident.