Adult and two children die in Hannibal house fire

HANNIBAL, Mo. (AP) –  A house fire in the northeast Missouri town of Hannibal has claimed the lives of two young siblings and their stepfather. The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighters found all three victims inside the small frame home. Five-year-old Logan Shanks and 6-year-old Summer Shanks were pronounced dead Wednesday at Hannibal Regional Hospital.

Their stepfather, Jason Carpenter, was taken to a hospital in Columbia for smoke inhalation. Marion County Coroner Richard Jones says Carpenter died Thursday.

An investigation revealed the fire was unintentional, but a specific cause has not been announced.

Hannibal, with about 17,000 residents, is 120 miles north of St. Louis.