WESTMORELAND, Jamaica – A tearful Adrian Laing says he could not find the strength to look at his 13-year-old daughter, Adrianna when he visited her in hospital on Monday.

Adrianna was injured in a house fire that killed her three younger brothers Sunday evening. The distraught father broke down in tears after disclosing that he was nearby, but not close enough to save the children from the blaze.

Reports from the police are that Laing, the father of all four children, was at home with them when he lit a candle after a power outage in the community. The 48-year-old who is a popular selector in the area subsequently went outside and, shortly after, the house was engulfed in flames.

Efforts were made to rescue the children, however only Adrianna was saved due to the magnitude of the blaze, according to the police report.

READ: WATCH: Grandmother mourns death of 3 children killed in Westmoreland fire

Laing was a vision of grief as he told OBSERVER ONLINE that his 13-year-old daughter is in critical condition at the hospital.

“Doctor say she critical. Mi tell dem say mi nuh really ago see her still but she critical,” he said.

“The whole world take out from under mi foot dem. I was here but not close enough to save dem. When me realise the fire, it too much fi me. A just some brave Samaritans hear mi daughter a cry decide say if a even dead dem a dead dem a go fi her.”

Holding back tears, Laing said he has been a single father since the children’s mother disappeared last August. He shared that he has struggled to take care of them but has always ensured their needs were met. Laing said he made all preparations for the beginning of the new school term and is now left distraught at the loss.

“Mi take care a dem good. Mi buy everything and press out dem clothes fi dem go a school dis morning. Mi tell dem say kids a mawning unu ago a school innu, new grade unu a go inna. Mi alone a whole dem up. Mi a di father and mother so mi a keep dem, mi take care a mi yute dem. Dis rough.”

The Negril and Savanna-la-Mar fire brigades were summoned to the scene of the blaze on Monday. Upon their arrival they conducted a cooling down operation, where the burnt remains of Jayden, Jorden and Adrianno, were seen in the burnt-out shell of the five-room house. They were taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.