KARACHI, Dec 22: Three children of a fisherman, including a six-month-old daughter, were killed on Monday when their house was burnt to the ground in Ibrahim Haideri, police and witnesses said. A candle is believed to have fallen on the cradle of the infant leading to a devastating fire.
They said that the fire broke out in the hut of Abdus Sattar Aarfani, father of five, in Rajani Mohalla, at around 4am and two of his children – infant Azra and six-year-old Muneera, were burnt to death. His seven-year-old son, Arbaz, who had received severe burns, died at the hospital.
They said that Nazeera, wife of Aarfani, and their 16-year-old-daughter, Anita, also received burns.
The witnesses said that the fire spread so quickly that the panic-stricken parents and their neighbours could do very little to save the children.
The fisherman told the newsmen at the spot that his infant daughter cried for milk in the small hours and he lit a candle at around 4am as there was no power in the locality. “My wife fed the baby and went to sleep before the candle fell on the cradle,” he added.
Sattar Aarfani said that the fire quickly engulfed the whole hut, made of bamboos and wood. “I woke up when Arbaz and Anita fell on me screaming and found the hut in flames,” he said.
The visibly shaken man said that he first rescued his wife, teenaged daughter and only son and then moved to the cradle to find the charred bodies of Azra and Muneera. “My wife is too traumatized to speak,” he added.
The charred bodies of the infant and her sister were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where sources said that the two siblings had been burnt beyond recognition.
The injured son and wife of the fisherman were shifted to the Civil Hospital where the boy also died from fatal burns.
They said that the woman also received burns but her injuries were not life-threatening.
A large number of people, including chairman of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum Mohammed Ali Shah, Town Nazim Jan Alam Jamote and Sindh minister Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujra, attended the burial of the three siblings.
The Sindh minister said that the affected family would be given full support and help and their house would be reconstructed.
Victim, suspect killed
A young man and a suspected dacoit were killed during a late-night bungled robbery in Sohrab Goth.
Initial reports suggested that two dacoits attempted to rob a provision store in Sain Dad Goth and they opened fire when the victim struggled with them.
The police said that Aziz Ullah, son of Amir Jan Mehsood, and an unidentified suspect were killed in the shootout while the victim’s brother received bullet wounds.
They said people also caught one of the dacoits who was given a hiding by the mob and shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in a critical condition.
Body found
A 50-year-old electronic goods trader was found dead at the driving seat of his car that was abandoned by the culprits in Clifton.
The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a postmortem examination. Sources at the hospital’s medico-legal section told Dawn that the victim was shot a single bullet to the head from a point-blank range as the bullet went through the victim’s skull.
The police said that the victim, Mohammed Asim Farooqui, son of Arif Farooqui, was an owner of a shop in the Saddar Electronics Market.
The victim’s brother, Khalid Farooqui, who lodged an FIR (590/08) against unidentified culprits, told the police that the victim, a resident of Federal B. Area, had been missing since Sunday evening.
The police said that the murder seemed to be motivated by a personal enmity.
Uxoricide
A 23-year-old woman, mother of a minor son, was slaughtered at her shantytown house in New Karachi allegedly by her husband, who is said to have fled after committing the crime.
The Surjani police said that Nawaz Ali Gopang slit the throat of his wife, Jamila, at their house in Yousuf Goth.
They said that the three-year-old son of the victim was being taken care of by the neighbours as no one from the victim woman’s family reached the spot.
The police said that no case was registered till late.
Addict killed
A 30-year-old man was killed by a hit-and-run truck near Water Pump.
The Jauharabad police said that the victim, identified as Irfan, was run over by the truck.
They said the body was kept at the Edhi morgue and no case was registered as the police were still waiting for the victim’s family members to lodge the case.
The police said that the victim was a vagabond heroin addict and the police were making efforts to locate his relatives.
Meanwhile, a 50-year-old motorcyclist was killed when his bike collided with another motorcycle near Musarrat Chowrangi in Landhi.
Witnesses said that the victim, identified as Abdul Aziz, a factory worker and resident of Korangi, died instantly.
The body was shifted to the JPMC for a medico-legal examination and later it was handed over to the victim’s family.
The police said that the other motorcyclist, Nazeef had been booked and taken into custody.
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