Hero dad ran into burning bedroom to save son, 3, after house erupted into flames but both tragically died, inquest told

11/19/2024 01:32 PM

A BRAVE dad ran into a burning bedroom to save his son but they both tragically died, an inquest heard.

Naemat Esmael rushed into the fire to rescue three-year-old Muhammad after their house, in Swansea, South Wales, erupted into flames.

The blaze broke out while the toddler, who loved Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig, was sleeping.

Naemat, 51, had been having a shower at the time but raced to save his son when he discovered the flames.

He was eventually forced to jump from an upstairs window and died in hospital two days later having suffered 81 per cent burns to his body, multiple organ failure, and severe inhalation injuries.

Tragic toddler Muhammad was found dead inside the house, from exposure to the flames, the inquest heard.

Assistant Coroner Kirsten Heaven said wife Sharmeen Ahmed, 40, raised the alarm when she saw the fire spreading but “did not know” her son was sleeping the room.

She said: “The door to the room was closed, Mrs Ahmed shouted to alert Naemet and her daughter and her daughter ran out of the property.

“Naemat came straight out of the shower and ran into the bedroom where Muhammad was located and the door banged shut behind him.

“Naemat was unable to save Muhammad and was forced to jump out of the bedroom window. Tragically both Naemat and Muhammad died because of the fire.”

The Assistant Coroner told the inquest two smoke alarms had not been triggered.

This was either because the door was closed, or the electric circuit to the house had tripped and their batteries were too low.

The inquest also heard investigators couldn’t determine the exact cause of the fire but “on the balance of probabilities” believe it was sparked in a cabinet drawer containing an extension lead with plugs for a TV and Playstation.

Ms Heaven said: “There was no evidence of any electrical fault by any of these items.

“However I do find that the fire probably started in or around the console unit and was probably electrical in origin because there is also no other explanation for the fire.”

The coroner said Ms Ahmed had heard a “thud”, which was most likely a switch tripping to cut the power supply.

She added: “I am unable to determine the precise electrical fault which caused the fire.”

The inquest also heard how Naemat, a builder, had rewired a lightswitch in a downstairs room.

He had not been qualified to do so, in the council-owned house.

But Wife Mrs Ahmed, said he had “never” done any electrical work where the fire began, despite some evidence of unauthorised changes.

She told the hearing in a heartbreaking statement: “I thought and was expecting that Naemat would get into the room to grab Muhammad to come outside.

“If I had known that this incident would have happened I would have gone there myself first thing first.

“It would have been much easier for me to lose my life there and then than to go through all this sorrow.”

The inquest heard the distraught mum had tried to run back into the house and had to be restrained by neighbours.

Her daughter suffered smoke inhalation but escaped the blaze.

Their other son was not home at the time of the fire.

Mrs Ahmed her children cry “every single night” since the tragedy.

“I always go through sorrow every single day,” she said.

“When I go to town centre to see things that Muhammed used to enjoy or like or to see a mother holding their son’s hand – all to me this is another death.

“I am living a death every single day experiencing this.”

Ms Heaven said she would write to the Welsh Government and Mid and West Wales Fire Service warning there was ” a continuing risk to life” over the inadequacy of fire alarms.

She said sprinkler systems, despite being “very expensive”, were far more effective.

She added: “I am concerned that only mandating two smoke alarms in rented accommodation means there is a continuing risk to life from fire.”