Five members of Indian-origin family die in London house fire
London, Nov 13: Five members of a family, including three children, have died in a house fire in west London, the Metropolitan Police said on Monday as it announced an investigation into the tragic incident.
While the victims are yet to be named by the police, local reports suggest the family was of Indian heritage and had been celebrating Diwali before the fire broke out on Sunday night.
A sixth victim remains unaccounted for in the fire and one male remains in hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening.
"My thoughts are with the loved ones of those who very sadly lost their lives in this tragic incident," said Met Police Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, responsible for policing in Hounslow where the fire occurred.
"I don't underestimate the impact that this will have on the wider community and beyond. I understand that there will be a demand for answers and my officers are working to establish exactly what has happened," he said.
Police said they were called at about 2230 local time on Sunday to reports of a fire at a residential address in Channel Close, Hounslow, where its officers attended alongside several London Fire Brigade firefighters and the London Ambulance Service (LAS).
The bodies of five victims were found inside the property and a sixth person is currently unaccounted for.
"It is believed that all five are members of the same family. One man left the house prior to the arrival of emergency services. He was taken to hospital by LAS. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening," reads the Met Police statement.
The police said nearby properties of the area were evacuated as a precaution and enquiries into the cause of the fire are ongoing. At this early stage in the investigation there have been no arrests, the Met Police said.
"We sent a number of resources including five ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, two clinical team managers, two incident response officers and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team," LAS said in a statement.
Dileep Singh, 54, from Manchester, told reporters that his brother-in-law was at the property with his wife, three children and two adult guests.
Singh told the Evening Standard' newspaper: "I received a call and came as soon as I could with my wife. We are desperate for information. My brother-in-law is alive but I don't know what has happened to everyone else.
"We are desperate. I was told the fire came from outside from a bin. We are going to the hospital to try to get more information."
It is reported that the family had moved to the house in London relatively recently from Belgium.
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'Strong evidence' available against Saif attacker, police tell court while opposing his bail plea
Mumbai, Jul 25 (PTI): Police have opposed the bail plea of the Bangladeshi national arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan with a knife and injuring him at his home here in January this year, telling a Mumbai court there was "strong evidence" against the accused.
Citing a Forensic Science Laboratory report, police reiterated before the sessions court their earlier claim knife fragments that got lodged near the actor's spine during the attack as well as a part found at the crime spot have matched with the weapon recovered from the accused, Shariful Islam.
These three pieces were part of the same weapon (knife) used to attack the filmstar, the police said in a written response to the accused's plea submitted in the court on Thursday (July 24).
Khan was repeatedly stabbed with a knife by an intruder inside his 12th floor apartment in upscale Bandra on January 16 during a robbery attempt.
The 54-year-old actor underwent surgery at Lilavati Hospital to remove a piece of knife that got lodged near his spine during the attack. He was discharged from the private hospital after five days.
Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested two days later for allegedly stabbing Khan.
The police, in their response, highlighted that the accused is a Bangladeshi citizen residing illegally in India.
If granted bail, there was a possibility that he may flee India and not appear before the court during the trial. The crime committed by the accused is of a "very serious nature, and strong evidence" is available against him, they argued.
In his bail plea, filed through advocate Vipul Dushing, the accused asserted he was innocent and had no prior criminal record.
Investigation into the case has practically concluded with only the filing of a chargesheet pending, the accused contended while seeking bail.
The alleged attacker has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to house trespass, robbery and dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous injury.
