Six members of a family, including a husband, wife and their children, were killed after a fire engulfed their home in Peshawar’s Tehkal Payan area, rescue officials said on Thursday.
According to emergency responders, the blaze began in a section of the house used for storing furniture and other household belongings before rapidly spreading to other parts of the residence.
The victims succumbed to suffocation and burn injuries, officials said, adding that the exact cause of the fire has yet to be established. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the incident.
The latest tragedy follows a separate house fire in Rawalpindi in which four young girls sustained critical burn injuries earlier this week.
Rescue 1122 said the fire broke out in the Niazi Town area of Rawalpindi, leaving the children severely injured. They were shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for emergency medical treatment. The injured were identified as Sukaina, 3, Ayat, 4, Tabeer, 5, and Fariha, 7.
According to the owner of the house, the children were staying with their mother in the upper portion of the building. He told authorities that the woman had turned on a heater before leaving the children unattended in the room.
The incident came to light after neighbours heard screams and noticed smoke emanating from the room. The landlord said he intervened immediately and was able to rescue the children before the fire intensified.
Rescue officials said an inquiry into the Rawalpindi incident was also underway as investigators sought to determine the cause of the blaze.