A Pakistani mother and her three children died in a house fire in northwestern London early Saturday morning. A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, police say.
The fire broke out around 01:20 BST at two adjoining terraced houses on Tillett close to the Stonebridge area in Brent. Emergency Services arrived to find both properties seriously damaged.
The victims have been identified as a 43-year-old woman and her three children-a 15-year-old girl and two boys aged eight and four. All four were declared dead on stage.
Police confirmed the woman was the mother of the three children.
According to the BBC, two other members of the same family – a woman in the 70s and a teenage girl – were also in the house and were taken to the hospital. Their conditions are not published.
Metropolitan Police said a 41-year-old man was arrested outside the property on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody. The family was of Pakistani origin and had lived in the UK for over 20 years, neighbors told the BBC.
Eight fire engines and about 70 firefighters from stations over Wembley, Park Royal and Willesden responded to the fire. They fought for the fire for several hours before it was brought under control.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Fire suborders and murder detectives work together on the case.
Neighbor Mohamed Labidi, 38, a teacher living on the same street, told the news agency that he was destroyed by the loss.
“I couldn’t even look at the house,” he said. “They were good people. We used to socialize. The kids were always polite. It’s heartbreaking.”
Another resident told the BBC that she heard screaming and cracking glass and came out to see the property next to fire.
