HYDERABAD: A woman and her two children died due to suffocation after a fire erupted in their house in Phase-I of Qasimabad behind Ali Plaza on Tuesday morning.

According to rescue officials, the three died due to suffocation because they could not leave the house.

The house located in Block-C was owned by Nadeem Siddiqui, a real estate dealer. His wife Mariam Siddiqui, daughter Effa 22 and son Shafay 18 were present on the first floor when fire erupted on the ground floor, according to a Rescue 1122 official, Dilbar Halepoto.

The victims were reportedly in a state of fast. Neighbours also tried to extinguish the fire but in vain.

“We rushed to the house at around 9am after receiving the call. The ground floor was completely burnt while family members were present on the first floor,” he said and added that the cause of fire could not be ascertained immediately.

He informed that the access to the rooftop was found padlocked and rescue officials broke it open. “They failed to come downstairs due to heavy fire on the ground floor. We shifted their bodies to hospital,” he disclosed.

He denied that the three died due to burn wounds. “They were present in the room and apparently died of suffocation. It looked as if they also tried to flee but fire engulfed the entire ground floor, thus, they didn’t get any chance to leave,” he said.

He added that the bodies were taken to the Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) city branch.

Siddiqui was unable to speak. He, however, told Dawn on phone that he managed to rescue his one daughter, who was in aitekaf, but three family members lost their lives. He said there was a blast in the air conditioners.

Later, he told Qasimabad police that he doesn’t want any legal proceedings because it was an accident.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2026