Fire crews were called to Barn Mead in Essex at 1.45am last night where they found the house ablaze.
They proceeded to pull six people from the burning house but four of them, believed to be mother Sabah Usmani, her daughter 13-year old Hira, and sons 11-year-old Sohaib, and six-year-old Rayyan were pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other children, nine-year-old Muneeb and three-year-old Maheen were rushed to nearby Princes Alexandra Hospital but Muneeb later died, too. Dr Andul Shakour was at home at the time and is currently being treated for smoke inhalation.
“”Our crews did everything they possibly could to revive those children,”chief fire officer David Johnson told the BBC of the incident.
“We are trying to establish whether it was a deliberate act as it developed exceptionally quickly. The house really is gutted.”
Essex Police Det Supt Rob Vinson added: “At this time we are investigating to see whether their fire was started deliberately and need anyone with information to contact us.”
Photo: Getty.
