DADU: A high-profile inquiry team led by Sindh home secretary Dr Saeed Ahmed Magnejo launched on Thursday investigation into the deadly fire incident in Faiz Mohammad Daryani village, 30 kilometres from Mehar town.

Nine children died and more than 20 other men and women suffered serious burns in the blaze which reduced 50 mud-thatched houses to ashes on Monday evening.

Dr Magnejo arrived in the village after Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah formed the inquiry committee to probe the tragic incident. He inspected what had remained of the houses and recorded statements of affected families.

Imamuddin Chandio, who lost four children to the fire, complained that the fire broke out suddenly and spread to all houses within no time. It continued to rage from 9pm Monday evening to 8am Tuesday morning but no fire brigade was sent to put out the blaze despite the villagers repeatedly informing the Dadu district administration and the Mehar town committee about the fire, he said.

He said that the villagers faced great difficulty controlling the fire and shifting the dead bodies and the injured to the hospital in the absence of ambulances and fire brigades.

Baharo Khan Chandio, whose three children died in the fire, said the inquiry should look into all aspects of the incident. Four out of 20 injured were shifted to Larkana hospital in serious condition, he said.

The team recorded statements of 10 other villagers.

Earlier, the home secretary held a meeting with Dadu deputy commissioner Sami Nissar Ahmed Shaikh at his office where the officer briefed him on different aspects of the fire tragedy.

Meanwhile, a joint investigation team was constituted by DIG Hyderabad Syed Pir Mohammad Shah to probe the blaze. The team comprising Johi SHO Inspector Noor Mustafa Pathan, SHO of Fareedabad police station Akhtar Hussain Lashari, SHO of A-Section police station Dadu town Inspector Ashfaq Ahmed Pathan, SHO of A-Section police station Mehar town sub-inspector Zahid Hussain Khoso led by Johi DSP Bashir Ahmed Khnharo visited the village, recorded statements of 20 villagers and eyewitnesses.

Heirs get compensation cheques

Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Fayaz Butt, who was also adviser to Sindh chief minister on zakat and ushr, distributed cheques for a total of Rs5 million among heirs of the nine fire victims and Rs2 million worth cheques for the injured at Faiz Mohammad Daryani Chandio village on Thursday.

Mr Butt, who was accompanied by MNA Ifran Zaffar Leghari, MPA Aziz Junejo and Dadu DC Sami Nissar Shaikh, said that the destroyed houses would also be rehabilitated.

SRHD volunteers inspect destroyed village

A delegation of Sindh Human Rights Defenders (SRHD) comprising Zulfiqar Qadri, Anu Solangi, Fida Chohwan, Komal Hingoro, Faiza Khanzada and Ali Palh advocate led by Zulifiqar Halepoto visited the fire-hit village and collected evidence about losses to human lives, property and animals.

Halepoto accused the Dadu district administration and the Mehar taluka municipal administration and the officers concerned of negligence in duty and failure to send help to the village in time which could have minimised the losses.

The delegation conducted door to door survey to assess degree of overall losses in the fire.

Edhi sets up camp in village

Saad Edhi, son of Faisal Edhi, arrived in the village and set up a camp to bring help to the fire-hit families in the form of ration bags, medicines and tents.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2022