Conflagration: Woman and three children burn in house fire

Her husband and a son survived but suffered severe burn injuries

FAISALABAD: A woman and three of her children died and her husband and a son were seriously injured in a fire that erupted at their house in a Millat Town police precinct early morning on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Millat Town police told journalists that Manzoor Ahmad, a resident of Game Chowk on Millat Road, had plugged in a device carrying a liquid to kill mosquitoes. He said for some reason, the device had short-circuited and caught fire. All six members of the family were asleep when the device caught fire.

He said the fire spread rapidly through the house and four of the family burned to death.

Neighbours called Rescue-1122. A team arrived at the scene and put out the fire, however, 30-year-old Khalida Bibi, her 8-year-old daughter Tayyaba, 6-year-old son Hasnain Ali and 2-year-old son Elyas Ali died on the spot. Her husband Manzoor Ahmad and their 4-year-old son Owais Ali were seriously injured. They were taken to the Burn Unit at Allied Hospital for treatment.

Dr Umar Ali, in charge of Allied Hospital’s Burn Unit Emergency Ward, told The Express Tribune that Ali and his father had suffered severe burns to most parts of their bodies. “They are being provided intensive care treatment, however, their condition is critical. It is too early to say whether they will make it,” he added. The bodies of the mother and her children were taken to the Allied Hospital’s mortuary.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and expressed sorrow over the incident. He expressed sympathy with the bereaved family and sought a report from the administration. He also ordered the best possible treatment for the injured man and his son.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2016.