MIRPURKHAS: A fire erupted in an orphanage due to electric short circuiting late on Thursday night, claiming the lives of at least five children while 95 other children were rescued, sources said.
The Sweet Home of the Pakistan Baitul Mall is situated in Iqbal Town and when the fire erupted, the local residents and guards of the orphanage tried to rescue the residents and found 15 children unconscious who were shifted to the hospital for medical aid. The police and fire brigade vehicles also reached the scene. Dead bodies were severely charred and some turned were beyond recognition due to the raging fire. The children who lost their lives were Javed, Tajamul, Waheed, Nasir, and Abdul Samad, all aged between 8 and 10 years of age.
DIG Javed Alam Odho, Deputy Commissioner Sayed Mehdi Shah, SSP Rukhsar Khawar, MPA Zafar Kamali, Municipal Committee Chairman Farooq Jameel Durani and others also reached the site and supervised the relief and rescue efforts. The Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed sorrow over the death of the children, and ordered an inquiry into the tragedy and sought a report from the commissioner and DIG of Mirpurkhas within 24 hours.
Sindh’s chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of the matter and expressed sorrow over the death of the children. He ordered an investigation into the incident and demanded that a report be filed regarding the matter.
Funerals: The funeral prayers of the five children were offered here Friday. A large number of residents participated in the funeral prayer. Pakistan Baitul Mall’s Managing Director Abid Waheed Sheikh and Director General Sindh Adnan Majeed also arrived here for investigation of the tragic incident. District officer of Baitul Mall Aamir and the lady in charge of the Sweet Home Janat are under custody of the Satellite town Police for investigation of the incident.
