Mother dies days after arson attack that killed her two girls
THE mother of two young daughters killed in an arson attack on their home lost her fight for life yesterday.
Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, had been severely injured in the fire that claimed Naeemah Drammeh, one, and Fatimah Drammeh, three.
Mrs Hydara’s family released a picture of the three victims as police investigating their murder were given more time to question a 31year-old man arrested on Sunday.
Mrs Hydara’s husband Aboubacarr Drammeh, 40, the girls’ father, was in the US at the time of the tragedy. He visited the scene of the fire in Clifton, Nottingham, on returning the UK.
‘I don’t know what has happened here. I need to try and understand what,’ he said. ‘This is just so upsetting. I haven’t started to come to terms with what has happened.’
The area around the flat, which sustained extensive damage in the fire, remained cordoned off yesterday as investigations continued. Emergency services were called to reports of the blaze in the family’s first floor one bedroom council flat, where Mrs Hydara had lived since 2017, at 3.17am on Sunday.
Steven Davies, 54, who lives in the property below, said: ‘I woke up and the building was on fire. I saw the police drag out the little ones. The smoke was terrible. The kids would have had no chance. They were lifeless when they got them out of the flat. This is just a malicious act.’
Mrs Hydara was taken to hospital in a critical condition and placed on life support but died yesterday morning. Neighbour Colin Brown said: ‘They were a nice family. She would always
say hello and the kids always said hello... I don’t know who would want to do this to them.’
Rob Perkins, headteacher at The Milford Academy in Clifton, where Fatimah attended the nursery, said: ‘Our whole school community was incredibly shocked and saddened.
‘We are just beginning the painful process of coming to terms with what has happened.
‘Fatimah was a kind, joyful and determined member of our nursery. Her sunny personality ensured she made friends wherever she went. She will be dearly missed by all of us.’
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski, who is leading the murder investigation, said: ‘We are dealing with one of the most horrendous crimes – the death of two young children and their mother. This is a deeply upsetting tragedy and I can only imagine the family’s pain.
‘This is now being treated as a triple homicide. The local community has been shocked and deeply saddened by the events of the past two days.’
‘This is just a malicious act’