Nine family members killed in Pakistan house fire
A family of nine perished in a house blaze and subsequent collapse in the north-western region of Pakistan. The tragic event occurred during the early morning hours in a secluded part of Abbottabad district, located within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
- Europe
- DPA
- Published Date: 04:28 | 24 December 2023
- Modified Date: 04:28 | 24 December 2023
The incident took place in a remote area of Abbottabad district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the early hours of Sunday.
The victims included a mother and eight children after the roof of the mud house caved in on the family, rescue officials said.
It took several hours to retrieve the bodies from under the rubble as rescue workers raced against time to save two other members of the family.
Fires in residential and commercial buildings are common in Pakistan, where the majority of high-rise buildings operate without certified fire and safety systems.
Most of the country's population lives in rural areas lacking fire departments. Fire departments in Pakistan are largely understaffed and ill-equipped to handle disasters.