Fire kills elderly woman in Thatta

Youth killed in road accident near Thatta

For visual reference only

An elderly woman died of severe burn injuries and suffocation when a fire erupted in a bungalow in Mirpur Sakro town of Thatta District on Wednesday morning.

According to reports from the coastal town, the fire was caused by a short-circuit in an air conditioner installed in the room where the 70-year-old woman, identified as Begum Noor, was bedridden and sleeping. The fire was so furious that it took no time to engulf the whole room. Two other members of the family came to know about the fire when smoke started entering their room. Son of the ill-fated lady, Dr. Karim, rushed to the room and broke open its door but his mother had died by then.

Volunteers of Aga Khan Agency for Habitat rushed to the site immediately after the incident and started putting out the fire by using fire extinguishers until the arrival of fire tenders. The head of the AKAH team told local reporters that their volunteers took part in the rescue operation and rescued the remaining two family members. The rescue teams took around an hour to douse the fire. Sources close to the affected family said that it had suffered a huge financial loss due to the fire, which turned to ash valuables worth millions.