Cause of deadly Minneapolis fire still unknown

Investigators have been unable to determine the cause of a fire that killed five children in north Minneapolis on Friday.

Minneapolis Fire Department officials say the blaze appears to have been an accident, and there is no indication of foul play.

Fire Chief John Fruetel said last week that the fire appeared to have started in the middle of a large room on the second floor of the duplex.

According to the medical examiner's office, three children died at the scene. Gwendolyn Lewis, 18 months, and Christopher Lewis, 8, died of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. Mary Lewis, 6, died of apparent smoke inhalation and thermal injury, Troy V. Lewis, 3, and Fannie Lewis, 4, died later at North Memorial Medical Center. Troy died of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning, and Fannie died of inhalation of "products of combustion" from the house fire, according to the medical examiner's office.

Two other siblings remain hospitalized. Shaca Lewis is in critical condition and Electra Lewis is in serious condition. Hennepin County Medical Center said it had "no information" to release on the condition of their father, Troy Lewis, who had been listed as being in satisfactory condition on Saturday. No information could indicate Lewis was released or that he asked to keep his condition private.

Even though the fire department has ruled the cause as "undetermined," investigators will continue to look into what sparked the blaze.