Family tragedies: Four perish in petrol station fire

Another two killed in house collapse in Chakra area

Four members of a family, including three children, died when fire broke out at a petrol pump near Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium late Friday evening.

The fire broke out at around 9:45pm and engulfed a passenger waiting inside a car at the station. The driver and most of the passengers managed to get out. However, a woman and her three children who were seated in the last seat could not flee the burning van and died on the spot.

Five fire trucks of Rescue 1122 responded to the emergency and extinguished the fire, which also affected a car and a motorcycle at the petrol station.

The victims were identified as 15-year-old Samra Zahoor, 11-year-old Yusra Zahoor, 10-year-old Arsalan Zahoor and 40-year-old Shazia Zahoor. They were taken to the Holy Family Hospital.

Rescue officials said petrol leakage at the pump caused the fire.

Another two persons died when a mud house collapsed on Saturday morning in Chakra area of Rawalpindi. Rescue officials said heavy rain the previous night had caused the collapse.

Two members of the family, 50-year-old Muslim Khan and seven-year-old Talha, died on the spot while another child and a woman was injured. Rescue 1122 shifted the victims to the Rawalpindi District Headquarters Hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2015.