Missouri toddler dies after hiding under sink from fire

FLORISSANT, Mo. (AP) — A 2-year-old Missouri boy died after hiding under a sink during a house fire, officials say.

Firefighters found Elijah Martinez unconscious under the bathroom sink and brought him to the hospital after his Florissant, Missouri, house caught fire Wednesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. He died from his injuries the same day, according to the medical examiner’s office.

His parents and 7- and 4-year-old brothers escaped and were treated for minor smoke inhalation.

Officials have not yet announced the suspected cause of the fire, but Jason Hoevelmann, chief of the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District described it as accidental.

Martinez’s cousin Shannon Selby said the toddler loved digging in the dirt, playing with toy trucks and hugs. Selby said the boy could walk into a room, dancing and wiggling, and make everyone laugh.

“He was always ready to give hugs,” she said.