Coroner Determines Electrical Origin for Fatal House Fire Involving Father and Son

A coroner has determined that a house fire, which resulted in the fatalities of a three-year-old child and his father, probably originated from an electrical source. Muhammad Esmael was discovered in a bedroom within the residence located in West Cross, Swansea, around 13:30 BST on 1 July of the previous year. His father, Naemat Lawa Esmael, aged 51, was located on the front lawn and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital two days subsequent to the incident. During the inquest conducted at Swansea Guildhall, testimony indicated the presence of electrical work that was deemed to fall “below the standard” expected of a qualified electrician. Earlier proceedings of the inquest revealed that Mr Esmael had undertaken home improvements, including certain electrical tasks, at the family’s residence, which was owned by the council. Assistant coroner Kirsten Heaven stated that Swansea council was neither aware of nor had it sanctioned any electrical modifications. Investigators discovered that an extension lead had been connected to a socket in the room where the fire originated, a space that also housed a storage unit containing objects such as a games console and a television. Forensic scientist Iain Peck informed the inquest that he detected no indication of a malfunction in any of the devices, including extension cables, a TV, and a games console, which had been retrieved from the first-floor bedroom. Jason Woodman, representing the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MWWFS), testified at the inquest that, “based on the balance of probabilities”, the blaze commenced in that specific location. In delivering a narrative conclusion, Ms Heaven remarked that it was “unfortunate” that additional detailed evidence, photographic records, and forensic examination of the site were unavailable. She determined that the fire was “probably electrical in origin,” despite being unable to ascertain the exact nature of the electrical fault. Ms Heaven further indicated that the smoke detector might not have activated either because the bedroom door was shut, or due to the electrical circuit tripping and the batteries being depleted. Ms Heaven affirmed her satisfaction that the fire alarms were in proper working order when Swansea Council installed them in 2020, and that they were not scheduled for inspection until 2025. She informed the inquest that she intends to issue two prevention of death reports: one to the Welsh government concerning the failure of the smoke alarms to sound, and another to MWWFS regarding the removal of electrical items from the bedroom. “I offer my condolences to the family in what has must been a very traumatic situation,” Ms Heaven conveyed to Muhammad’s mother, Sharmeen Ahmed. She added, “Ms Ahmed, giving evidence in this showed great bravery, you should be very proud of yourself.” Representing the family, Hoshman Esmael stated that they accept the conclusions reached regarding the “tragic passing” of Naemat and Mohammad Esmael. He expressed, “I want to thank, especially, the Swansea community who are still continuing their support to the kids, we cannot thank them enough.” The Swansea Muslim Consortium announced that it has put in place welfare provisions, such as access to mosque Imams and Muslim chaplaincy services, subsequent to the deaths of its members. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.