ISLAMABAD: Two toddlers perished and three suffered injuries in a fire that engulfed their hut in a slum here on Friday.

The slum in Sector F-11 housed dozens of huts with gypsy families from Punjab residing there, police said, adding two huts were completely gutted in the fire.

One of the families lit a candle which somehow caused fire as the huts were built with cloth and hay. The fire spread so fast that the adults rushed out, leaving behind five children in the hut. People pulled out three children, but could not rescue the remaining two because of the fast spreading fire which also engulfed the adjacent huts.

Police, rescue workers and people brought the fire under control after a while and retrieved the bodies of Muhammad Rahim, 2, and Hiader Riaz, 6, from the burnt-out hut.

The three rescued children — Ibrahim, 3, Mubashir and a nine-year-old girl — were taken to a hospital where the condition of the girl was stated to be critical.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2018