A 24-year-old mother and her two young children were killed after a house was engulfed in flames on Wednesday afternoon in the village of Domen, in the Postribë area near Shkodër, authorities said.

The victims were members of the Çela family, who had been living in Germany and had recently returned to Albania for a holiday.

According to local reports, the family had arrived earlier on Wednesday at their old family home in Domen. They had planned to carry out repairs and maintenance work on the property, while staying in Shkodër during their visit.

The mother and her two children were inside the old house preparing food when the fire broke out. The father was reportedly some distance away in the village at the time of the incident.

The blaze spread rapidly, reducing the ageing house to ashes within minutes. Emergency responders later discovered a gas cylinder and a container of petrol inside the property.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. The circumstances surrounding the tragedy remain under investigation.