A mother is returning from a pilgrimage today to find her husband and youngest daughter, aged nine, have perished in a house fire.
Another daughter – aged 11 – is fighting for her life following the blaze at their home in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire on Sunday morning.
The tragedy happened as mother was away observing Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the Eid celebrations.
She left the father, a taxi driver, looking after their three children, an eldest son daughters, aged 11 and nine.
The son was staying with relatives over Saturday night so was not inside the red-brick semi detached house in the quiet cul de sac on Russell Close, when the fire took hold.
Former neighbours Andy Boys, 30, and Mehvish Iqbal, 29, came to lay floral tributes outside the fire damaged house, which has the doorway boarded up after firefighters wrenched off the front door to gain entry into the blazing building.
Mehvish said:’My son used to play outside with her little girl, the one that has passed away. It is just awful.
‘To know that the mother is away in Mecca and she is coming back to this, I don’t know how she is going to deal with it mentally.
‘The girls are lovely little girls, I pray that her older sister pulls through.’
The police were called to reports of a fire at a property in Heckmondwike on Sunday morning
Two firefighters have also been seen inspecting what appears to be a washing machine in the house’s back garden
Emergency services at the scene on Russell Close in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, where a man and a nine-year-old girl died in a house fire
Andy added: ‘They were lovely neighbours, we lived next door.’
A number of floral tributes have been left outside the house.
Another neighbour said: ‘I heard sirens on Sunday morning and then looked out to see the smoke and the emergency crews doing CPR on the dad and kids. It seemed to go on forever, it was horrendous.’
He said the children attended Crossley Fields Junior and Infant School.
Another neighbour said: ‘Mum was away in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. I’ve been told she is coming back today. My heart breaks for her.
‘I know their eldest son was stopping elsewhere with a relative when the fire started. Dad is a taxi driver and such a nice man. It’s is devastating for everybody and we just hope the other little girl survives.’
Councillor Ali Arshad, who represents Heckmondwike on Kirklees Council as a member of the Kirklees Community Independents Group, said he had asked the community, which he described as ‘close-knit’, not to speculate.
He said: ‘There’s been no speculation. Everybody has respected the wishes of the family.’
He said the family of the victims were ‘absolutely amazing people’, adding: ‘They keep themselves to themselves and are always cheery and willing to help.’
A two-storey semi-detached terrace house remains cordoned off while a blue tent was raised at the front of the property
Both the girls were both taken to hospital for immediate treatment, but tragically the nine-year-old died later that day from her injuries
Enquiries remain ongoing by detectives following the double fatal house fire.
Police were called at 6.19am on Sunday morning by the fire service to an address on Russell Close, Heckmondwike to a report of an ongoing house fire.
Officers attended the address at which an adult male and two young girls had been removed by firefighters.
The girls, aged nine and 11, were both taken to hospital for treatment. Despite medical attention, the male was sadly determined to have died at the scene.
Tragically, the nine year old girl passed away in hospital later on Sunday. The 11-year-old female remains in a critical condition.
Detective Inspector Paul Greatorex of Kirklees CID, said: ‘We are continuing to work with colleagues at the fire service to investigate this dreadfully sad incident which has resulted in a father and daughter losing their lives.
‘Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since yesterday and we have been working to locate and support relatives of the victims both here and outside of the UK at what is clearly an awful time for the family.
One local said: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their extended families and friends at this difficult time’
Since news of their deaths were announced, tributes have been flooding in
‘While our enquiries remain ongoing we do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances regarding the cause of the fire and will be preparing a file for the coroner in due course.
‘Our support for the family involved clearly also still continues.’
West Yorkshire Fire Service said: ‘We were called at 06.11 yesterday to reports of a house fire on Russell Close in Heckmondwike.
‘We sent four crews (2x Dewsbury, Spen Valley and Morley).
‘Firefighters retrieved three people from within the property, two of whom were taken to hospital by ambulance.
‘Our fire investigators are working with police to establish the circumstances of the fire.’
