London house fire that killed six family members ‘not suspicious’

Inquiry launched into blaze that killed mother and five children in Neasden, north-west London, in early hours of Saturday A house fire that killed a mother and five children early on Saturday has been not been deemed suspicious by police and fire officers. The children’s father and a sixth child, a 16-year-old girl, are being treated in hospital after the blaze at their semi-detached house in Neasden, north-west London. The victims have been named as Muna Elmufatish, 41, her teenage daughters Hanin and Basma, 14 and 13, nine-year-old daughter Amal, and sons Mustafa and Yehya, aged five and two. The family is understood to be of Palestinian origin. Father Bassam Kua, 51, and daughter Nur escaped from the house but remained in St Mary’s hospital, Paddington, London. He was said to be in a stable and comfortable condition while she was described as critical, but stable. Postmortems will be held on Monday. Chief Superintendent Matthew Gardner, of the Metropolitan police, said a “thorough and painstaking” investigation was being carried out into the cause of the fire, which involved 30 firefighters tackling intense heat and smoke. “At this time this is not, I repeat not, a suspicious circumstance,” he said. “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the friends and family of the victims who now have to come to terms with this terrible loss of life.” Gardner said officers would be conducting “reassurance patrols” in the area and at places of worship, and liaising with schools to update children who may have known family members. Emergency workers were called to the house in Sonia Gardens in the early hours after the blaze took hold of the ground and first floors. One neighbour described hearing a loud bang, almost like an explosion. The London ambulance service said four of the children and their mother were found dead. Medics tried to resuscitate Mustafa, who was in cardiac arrest, but could not save him. Friends of Basma paid tribute to the teenager. Tia Hirani, 13, said: “She’s one of the most caring people I’ve ever met, she helps everyone. I’ve known her for two years roughly, we go to Crest academy together. I’ve known her from year seven, we’ve had a few falling outs but that’s just what friends do.” Bev Bell, principal of Crest girls’ academy in Neasden, which Hanin also attended, said the school would do whatever it could to help. She revealed their surviving sister Nur was a former student. “It is a terrible tragedy and the whole academy community is absolutely devastated. “We will be holding a special assembly for all students, including the boys’ academy which shares the same site. I have arranged for counsellors to join us to support students and staff who are shocked and very upset by what has happened.” More than 600 firefighters marked the tragedy with a minute’s silence during an event the ExCeL Centre in London. London Firefighters Mark Townsend James Meikle guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 25, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.