House fire kills seven Pakistanis in Canada
The preliminary investigation does not indicate the incident to be criminal in nature.
ALBERTA (Dunya News) – Seven members of two Pakistani families were killed in an early-morning fire in Canadian city of Chestermere near Alberta on Friday, Dunya News reported.
According to sources, seven members of two related families from Karachi died in the blaze. Amjad Kamal, Rafia Rashid, a 35-year-old woman and four children were among the dead. An adult male and four children were able to escape.
Seven people have been killed, including four young children, when a fire ripped through a home in Chestermere, Alberta, local officials say. Five other people were able to escape.
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The incident happened at around 2:30 a.m. on Friday when neighbors reported hearing a loud bang at a home in the 300 block of Oakmere Close in Chestermere, just east of Calgary. The back of the home was completely destroyed in the fire.
"Two related family units were in the home at the time of the fire," Alberta RCMP said in a statement. "One adult male and four children were able to escape the fire; tragically, seven other occupants were unable to. "
The victims were identified as a man and a woman in their late 30s, a 35-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl, an 8-year-old girl, and a 4-year-old boy.
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The five survivors who escaped were assessed by EMS, and the four children were taken to hospital as a precaution.
"The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has ordered autopsies on the deceased which will be conducted in the coming days," RCMP said. "The Fire Investigator along with the RCMP Forensic Identification Unit remain on scene to conduct further examination."
"The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Chestermere RCMP; however, the preliminary investigation does not indicate it to be criminal in nature," RCMP said in the statement, adding that autopsies will be carried out in the coming days.
"The Fire Investigator along with the RCMP Forensic Identification Unit remain on scene to conduct further examination," the statement said.
OUR HEARTS ACHE
Chestermere s mayor, Marshall Chalmers, says the entire community is reeling from the news of the fatal fire and will join together to help the affected family grieve.
"Words cannot effectively express the devastation on our community. Our minds cannot fully comprehend the overwhelming loss," he said in a statement Friday afternoon.
"Our hearts ache for this family, this neighbourhood, and the community at large. While many will feel helpless in the face of such heartbreak, all we can do is to join together to grieve, to listen, and to support those impacted."
Chalmers also thanked the efforts of first responders as well as the many people across the province for their thoughts and prayers.
