• Home

Grieving father blames failed fire alarm system for three-yr-old’s death

SHARJAH — The grieving father of the three-year-old Pakistani boy, who died after his panicked mother dropped him from the 8th floor of her burning apartment on Monday afternoon, has said a failed fire alarm system was one of the causes of his son’s death.

The Pakistani mother, gripped by panic, dropped her two children, Areeb (three) and Harris (four) from the window of her burning apartment in a bid to save their lives. While Areeb died on the spot, Harris is fighting for his life in Al Qasimi Hospital.

“Harris has a fractured skull and a broken leg and he is on artificial ventilation. Doctors say the next 48 hours are critical for him,” said the father, Javed Ifetkhar.

The family had come to Dubai on a visit just a month ago, Ifetkhar said.

Speaking to Khaleej Times yesterday, Ifetkhar, a businessman, said his dead son was a beautiful child who had just learnt how to talk.

Explaining the incident, he said his wife Zebunissa had locked the main door and hid the key from the children.

“Fire spread in the one-bedroom apartment rapidly and it was filled with smoke in no time. My wife panicked after she noticed one of the children had fallen unconscious. In the meanwhile, mattresses that had been placed in the hall, went aflame causing her hair to singe when she tried to get past towards the door,” said Ifetkhar, adding that his wife, who is expecting another child, is in a state of shock.

He said his wife was unable to communicate to people properly who were watching the drama from below.

“She thought they were trying to tell her to drop the kids down and they would catch them. In fact they were telling her not to do so,” said the grieved father.

“After dropping the children, my wife hung on to the window ledge for over 30 minutes before labourers from the neighbouring building saved her. There was no alarm system in the building and a lack of proper ventilation caused the fire to spread rapidly,” he added.

“I have lost my son as well as money in this country,” said Ifetkhar, who has reportedly been conned by a “business partner.”

Until yesterday, the grieved parents were unable to complete the formalities to secure the release of their dead child.