Murder investigation launched into deaths of mother and five children in Essex house fire (VIDEO)

Nov 22 2012 By Cheryl Mullin

DETECTIVES investigating a house fire which killed six members of the same family are treating the deaths as murder, police have said.

Sabah Usmani, 44, her sons Muneeb, nine, and Rayyan, six, and daughter Hira, 12, died in the blaze in the early hours of October 15 at their home in Barn Mead, Harlow, Essex.

A third son, Sohaib, 11, and daughter Maheen, three, died later in hospital. Dr Usmani’s husband, Abdul Shakoor, was the only survivor.

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Rob Vinson said: “This is now a murder investigation.

We believe that someone burgled the house and then caused a fire that took the lives of six innocent people.

“Someone knows something about this incident and for whatever reason has not come forward to tell police what they saw or know.

“Please search your conscience for the sake of those five young children and their mother. This is an unprecedented case in the history of Essex Police and we will do everything we can to solve this tragedy.

“Dr Shakoor has had to find the strength to cope with this terrible tragedy. No one can imagine the pain of losing your whole family in such a horrible way. I need to find answers. I need the public to tell me what happened on that night.

Tributes left outside the home of Sabah Usmani who, along with her five children, died in a fire