Eight members of a family — the mother, three daughters and four sons — died and two others received burn injuries when a fire erupted in their house in Baldia Town's Malang goth area the night between Sunday and Monday.

A survivor, Sajid, told police that his mother Gulzara Bibi was "mentally unstable and had set the house on fire after locking the main door."

According to Sajid, her mother had been under treatment for her mental illness for the past two years.

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A fire tender doused the fire, however, by that time four people had lost their lives. Three others succumbed to their injuries while on the way to a hospital, whereas a woman died in the hospital during treatment.

The deceased were identified as Gulzara Bibi, Nadia, Zafar, Naila, Rehan, Ruqia, Tayyab and Aqsa.

According to Sajid, all the family members were sleeping in a room while their father was sleeping in the porch. When the fire erupted the father managed to escape but did sustain some injuries.

The father and son are both currently under treatment at Civil Hospital Karachi's burn unit.

A large number of residents from the area participated in the family's funerals prayers, held at Hub River Road in Baldia Town.