This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40557082
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Bolton fatal house fire 'caused by halogen heater' | Bolton fatal house fire 'caused by halogen heater' |
(35 minutes later) | |
A house fire which killed a mother and her three children was caused accidentally by a halogen heater, fire investigators have found. | A house fire which killed a mother and her three children was caused accidentally by a halogen heater, fire investigators have found. |
The blaze broke out at a terraced house in Rosamond Street, Bolton, at about 09:00 BST on Saturday. | The blaze broke out at a terraced house in Rosamond Street, Bolton, at about 09:00 BST on Saturday. |
The victims were five-year-old Khadija Umerji, her brothers Yusuf, 10, and Hammad, 12, and their mother Anisha Umerji, 40. | The victims were five-year-old Khadija Umerji, her brothers Yusuf, 10, and Hammad, 12, and their mother Anisha Umerji, 40. |
The children's father Zubair Umerji jumped from the first floor. | The children's father Zubair Umerji jumped from the first floor. |
He tried to smash through glass on the ground floor window to reach his family. He is being treated for his injuries. | He tried to smash through glass on the ground floor window to reach his family. He is being treated for his injuries. |
Senior firefighter Tony Hunter said: "He was absolutely distraught, screaming [that] his wife and children were in there." | Senior firefighter Tony Hunter said: "He was absolutely distraught, screaming [that] his wife and children were in there." |
A neighbour, Fatima, said: "I heard screaming, banging and shouting. 'Save my kids, save my wife. Help. Help.' | |
"Everyone started to try to break the door and the windows but the flames were already all over. | |
"It is a loss to our neighbourhood. God bless their souls." | |
Their funerals will take place in Bolton on Tuesday. | Their funerals will take place in Bolton on Tuesday. |
Following a joint investigation, officers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) believe the fire was caused accidentally by a halogen heater in the living room at the front of the house. | Following a joint investigation, officers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) believe the fire was caused accidentally by a halogen heater in the living room at the front of the house. |
Jim Hutton from GMFRS said: "We believe a halogen heater may have caught a sofa alight. | |
"We're looking into [how the heater came to be on]. We're trying to speak to the father following this tragedy to see if he can give us some more information." | |
The two youngest children attended Brandwood Primary School in Bolton. | The two youngest children attended Brandwood Primary School in Bolton. |
In a statement the school said it had been a "privilege" to have been part of the lives of the Umerji family. | In a statement the school said it had been a "privilege" to have been part of the lives of the Umerji family. |
The school would do all it could to support them, it added. | The school would do all it could to support them, it added. |
Community safety teams and firefighters have since visited more than 200 homes in Bolton offering safety advice. | Community safety teams and firefighters have since visited more than 200 homes in Bolton offering safety advice. |
Chairman of the fire committee at Manchester City Council, councillor David Acton, urged people to check electrical appliances, plugs and cables and make sure they do not overload sockets. | Chairman of the fire committee at Manchester City Council, councillor David Acton, urged people to check electrical appliances, plugs and cables and make sure they do not overload sockets. |