MANCHESTER, Jamaica — The Manchester police say they have launched an investigation into the deaths of three members of a family in Craig Head, North Eastern Manchester, last night.

The charred remains of a mother and her adult son and daughter were found after cooling down operation at their house that was burnt to the ground.

The incident happened at about 10:25 pm.

The mother has been identified as Lina Powell and her children are Lissette and Delroy Powell.

Police say that they are still trying to determine if the family members died before the fire, or if they were killed in the fire.

The origin of the fire is also unknown at this time, the police say.

Another tragedy in the parish was the shooting death of a taxi operator yesterday.

Mark Evans, 33, was shot dead by unknown assailants at about 4:45 pm.

Police reports are that residents heard explosions on Palm Drive in Knockpatrick.

A man was reportedly seen running from the direction of Evans’ motor vehicle, where Evans was found slumped over the steering wheel.

He was pronounced dead at hospital.

Evans was from Albion district and plied the Knockpatrick route.

These two incidents have taken to five the number of tragic deaths in the parish since the start of the week.

On Thursday, 27-year-old Everald Daley, otherwise called ‘Pete’, was killed in Kingsland, in an alleged shoot-out with the police.

The Manchester police say that he was on their record as a ‘person of interest’ in at least three murders.

Alicia Sutherland