Fifth child dies following fire (From Daily Echo)

Fifth child dies following fire

7:08pm Thursday 18th October 2012 in News By Dan Kerins, Digital Editor

A three-year-old girl who was fighting for life after a house fire in Harlow, Essex, which claimed the lives of her mother and four siblings, has died, a spokesman for Princess Alexandra Hospital said.

Sabah Usmani, her sons Sohaib, 11, and Rayyan, six, and 12-year-old daughter Hira died in their end-of-terrace house in Barn Mead, Harlow, Essex, in the early hours of Monday.

A third son, Muneeb, nine, and second daughter Maheen, three, were rescued by fire crews and taken to hospital in a critical condition but Muneeb later died.

The death of the Maheen now means that the sole survivor is the family's father Abdul Shakoor, who used to work as a doctor in Winchester, as did his late wife, Sabah.

Earlier today, fire investigators said they could find no trace of accelerant, casting doubt on theory that the fire was an arson attack and may hve instead been a tragic accident.