Three children, mother and aunt perish in Aqaba house fire

AMMAN — An eight-year-old child, who last week was admitted to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation in a fire that engulfed his family’s apartment in Aqaba, died late on Wednesday night, a medical source said Thursday.

The only survivor in the fire that burnt the entire apartment located in the 10th District in Aqaba, 330km south of Amman, was a 13-day-old baby, who was released from hospital on Wednesday, the senior medical official told The Jordan Times.

The child’s 40-year-old mother, her 20-year-old sister and two siblings aged four and five, perished in the fire, which erupted on November 23, the medical source said.

“All the victims died of smoke inhalation, including the two children who died shortly after being admitted to a hospital. Their aunt died the following day and their mother passed away two days later,” the medical source said.

A Civil Defence Department (CDD) official said the fire was a result of a gas leak in the apartment.

“Initial investigations shows that there was gas in the apartment and someone switched on a light, which caused the house to blow up and burn,” the CDD official told The Jordan Times.

The husband was at work when the incident occurred, the CDD source added.