Holiday get together turns into a tragedy

Family tragedy in Hyderabad: Seven members of a family died due to asphyxiation and body burns in a fire accident during their Diwali vacation. Eighth family member is receiving treatment at Osmania General Hospital. Cause of death is both asphyxiation and severe body burns. Family friend described the household as harmonious. Corporator of Mehdipatnam and AIMIM MLA candidate offered to take care of burial process. Tragedy also claimed the lives of an elderly couple.

A family get together on Deepavali holiday turned into a tragedy for a Hyderabad family with seven members dying due to asphyxiation and body burns in the fire accident. A 17-year-old family member is currently receiving treatment at the Osmania General Hospital for burn injuries.

On the evening of Deepavali, Mohammad Mukram, residing in Asif Nagar, dropped his wife and three children off at his parents’ residence in Bazaar Guard area of Lakdikapul. Mukram is a dentist and runs his own clinic in the locality. The residential apartment, where the incident took place on Monday morning, housed Mukram’s parents, Mohammad Azam, 57, and Rahman Sultana, 50, Mukram’s wife Tahura Farheen, 35, and their three children -- Taroba, 13, Manha, 6, and Mohammad Talha, 17. Also present in the house were Azam’s two other children, Faiza Sameena, 26, and Haseb-ur-Rahman, 32.

A family friend described the household as a harmonious one, highlighting that Azam was currently trying to find a suitable match for his unmarried daughter Sameena, who worked as a nutritionist. Haseb-ur-Rahman’s wife was at her mother’s home as she had delivered a child just about a month ago.

The cause of death is both asphyxiation and severe body burns. The post mortem of all the deceased began at around 3 p.m. and went on for four hours, said hospital superintendent Dr Nagendar.

17-year-old Mohammad Talha, who suffered 75% burns, is now undergoing treatment at the Acute Burns Care unit of Osmania General Hospital and is in a critical condition, confirmed hospital superintendent. Talha is an intermediate second-year student at MS Junior College, Asif Nagar.

The only surviving members of the family include Azam’s son-in-law Mohammad Mukram, Azam’s son Mohammad Anas (who works in Saudi Arabia), and Haseb-ur-Rahman’s wife and children. Mohammad Anas rushed to Hyderabad upon receiving the news.

Corporator of Mehdipatnam and AIMIM MLA contestant from Nampally constituency, Majid Hussain, reached the Osmania hospital mortuary on Monday afternoon and spoke to the family members of the deceased. He assured the family of taking care of the burial process of all the deceased.