Three-year old and father died due to 'probable electrical' fire in Swansea, says coroner
Swansea's Coroner's Court couldn't find the precise origin of the fire, but believe it to be electrical
Last updated 19th Nov 2024
3-year-old Muhammad Esmael and father Naemat Esmael died in a house fire in West Cross, Swansea in July 2023.
The inquest concluded today (19th of November 2024) and found that whilst there was no evidence of electrical faults from appliances such as a television or games console, the fire is presumed to of started from an electrical issue.
Assistant Coroner Kirsten Heaven said “I did find that the fire was probably electrical in origin but I am unable to find precise origin of electrical fault.... I offer my condolences to the family.”
Father of three, Naemat, lived with his family in the council-owned terrace house in West Cross, Swansea since for the last few years.
The fire is believed to of originated in a wooden storage box where electrical items were held, these items may of tripped the fire alarms meaning they didn't go off quick enough.
Naemat's wife, Sharmeen, said “It would’ve been easier for me to lose my life then, then go through this grief now”
“I go through sorrow every day”.
“I want to know the cause of the fire, so other people don’t go through similar."
A statement from the family's representative said:
"On behalf of Ms. Sharmeen Y. Ahmed and her family, we acknowledge the findings of the coroner’s inquest into the tragic passing of her husband, Hajji Naemat Lawa Esmael, and her son, Mohammed Esmael, on July 1, 2023."
"Ms. Ahmed extends her sincere gratitude to the coroner, South Wales Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Swansea Council, and both the Swansea and wider communities for their unwavering support."
Dr. Mahaboob Basha, representing the Swansea Muslim Consortium, shared: “We welcome the findings of the inquest and will collaborate with the Welsh Government, South Wales Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and Swansea Council to address the highlighted concerns.”
"Thank you for respecting the family’s wishes and for your cooperation in handling this matter with care."
Following the conclusion, the coroner will be sending a report to the Welsh Government to prevent future deaths.
Within this report it will detail that the fire investigators hadn't taken enough pictures of the scene which could have helped find the origin of the fire.