THATTA: A six-month-old baby girl was killed in a fire that also caused burns to her father and three other family members in Abdullah Gandhro village located along Keenjhar Lake on Friday.

According to some residents of the area, a group of people was seen sitting around a bonfire next to the thatched house of Niaz Gandhro in the late hours of Thursday to warm themselves in cold weather. They guessed that some burning straws might have caused the fire to engulf the house after they left the place.

The entire house and everything inside were reduced to ashes and its occupants sustained serious burns. The charred body of the six-month-old baby, Fauzia, was recovered and burnt-out carcasses of six goats were found after the fire was extinguished.

Niaz Gandhro and his three family members were taken to the Thatta Civil Hospital for treatment.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2020