KARACHI: Three children died while their parents suffered serious burn injuries when a fire broke out in their Kashmir Colony house on Tuesday, police said.

They said that the fire broke out in a two-storey house in Mehmoodabad’s Kashmir Colony where a family of six was living on rent.

Area people alleged that the fire was reported on time but the firefighters arrived after a delay.

“The [head] of the family, 35-year-old Fayaz Ali, his 30-year-old wife, Saeeda, and their four kids were asleep when the fire erupted. The victim family was living on the ground floor,” said an official.

“The siblings who died in the incident were between one and three. They were identified as Hamza, Momina and Salma. Fayaz, his wife, and another daughter were also injured in the blaze and they were shifted to the Burns Centre of the Civil Hospital Karachi,” he added.

As the cause of the fire was yet to be determined by the fire department, the police suspected it was a short-circuit that triggered the blaze.

Ghani visits family

Sindh Labour and Education Minister Saeed Ghani, who won the election from the same constituency, visited the affected family to offer his condolences.

Speaking to the media, the minister said that the fire department was directed to determine the exact cause of the blaze at the earliest.

He also referred to the area people’s complaint about a delay in the arrival of fire tenders despite the fact that a fire brigade office was located nearby.

The minister said that circumstances surrounding the incident would be ascertained by obtaining the statement of the injured father of the deceased children after his recovery.

He also said that the government would ensure quality treatment to the injured.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2020