In a tragic incident, three children died from smoke inhalation in the Umm Al-Hamam district of Qatif on Friday, the night before Eid Al-Adha.

Ali, 6, Firas, 4 and Gammar, 2, lost their lives when a fire broke out in their home. Their mother had reportedly left the house with her sister for a few minutes, a local newspaper reported on Sunday.

Their father, Husain Abdulrasiq Al-Abbas, was at the time in Makkah performing Haj. Al-Abbas was reportedly devastated when he heard the news.

The cause of the fire has not been determined but the Civil Defense has not ruled out foul play.

A relative of the family was quoted as saying that the mother had left the house with her sister before the fire broke out. She received a phone call later from someone informing her that there was a fire in her home.

When the mother returned to the house, she found her three children lying on the floor of the room where the fire had broken out. They were still alive when she found them.

The relative said the mother tried to revive them using artificial respiration.

The Saudi Red Crescent arrived later but the children died on their way to the hospital, he said. The children might have tampered with something that caused the fire, he said.

Lt. Col. Abdulaziz Jaza Al-Harbi, spokesman of the Civil Defense, said: “We don’t know yet whether a crime was committed, but it is a tragedy for the family.”

The tragedy has left their neighborhood in deep shock.