House fire leaves one person dead, three missing

The blaze broke out overnight in the Lake Erie community south of Welland (Nickel St. near the Welland Canal).

Niagara Region police Const. Phil Gavin said the age and gender of the victim would not be released until next of kin are notified.

There was no immediate information about the three people unaccounted for.

Gavin said the fire has been extinguished, but hot spots remained and it was not yet safe enough for investigators to enter the two-storey house.

He said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire and that the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office would investigate.