MUM & 3 KIDS DIE IN BLAZE

Dad held back fr om rescue bid as f lames so intense

A MUM and her three children died yesterday after fire engulfed their terraced home.

Neighbours saw the children’s dad leap from a bedroom window before attempting to get back into the property.

But the man, named locally as Zubair Dalal, was dragged away by neighbours because the blaze was too intense.

Mr Dalal, who had blood streaming down his face, was screaming and crying uncontrollably.

Neighbours said he had smashed the glass with his bare hands during the rescue bid.

The mum, who died shortly after arriving at hospital, was named by Bolton Council of Mosques as 40- year- old, Anisha Umerji. The dead children are Hammad, 12, Yusuf, 10 and Khadija five.

Fire chiefs said officers had to use specialist equipment to break down the door and the fire was so intense, the plaster on the walls had burned away exposing the brick work. They found all four victims upstairs at the house in Bolton just after 9am yesterday.

Witness Bilal Ali said he was woken by ear-splitting screams. The 21-year-old said: “It was horrendous. I looked out of my window and could see the dad trying to get back inside.

“He was screaming and crying and had blood running down his face. We went outside to help but there were flames everywhere. We just couldn’t get back in. Some went round the back of the house but there was too much fire.

“There was nothing we could do. There was a car directly outside the house and I was afraid it was going to explode.”

Tony Hunter, assistant county officer at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: “First can I just send our deepest condolences to family, friends and the community. A male who we believe to be the father of the children involved was outside the property, who had jumped from the first floor, had made his way to the ground floor and was fighting with his fists to try and get back into the property.

“It took four firefighters with specialised tools to break the door down.

“We then sent firefighters in, through the intense heat, up to the first floor and found three children and who we believe to be the mother on that floor.”

Det Ch Insp Chris Bridge of Greater Manchester Police said: “This appears to be a family home and we have been working to inform loved ones of this awful loss.

“I assure you we are working to get to the bottom of what happened, although we are currently not treating it as suspicious. This means there will be officers and fire investigators in the area for some time and I thank residents for their patience.”

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham t weeted: “Dreadful news coming out of Bolton today. My thoughts are with the family, their friends & the whole community.”