Seven-year-old fails to save cousin, both die in fire

Seven-year-old Usman Ali, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district, about 250 kilometres from here, was playing outside his hut, when he heard the cries of his four-year-old cousin Preeto.

To his horror, Usman found that the hut was in flames and Preeto had been trapped inside it. Usman, who often played with Preeto, without any delay went inside the burning hut in a bid to save his cousin from the fire.

Unfortunately the fire, which was fanned by strong winds, engulfed the entire hut within no time, trapping both of them.

By the time, locals managed to douse the flames, Preeto had already died while Usman had suffered third-degree burns. He was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a little later.

According to the reports, Preeto’s parents Amreel Khan and Nazara Begum are labourers. They used to leave their four-year-old daughter with Amreel’s brother Kalu Khan, who lived in the neighbourhood near Sihoopur village in the district. Preeto and Kalu’s son Usman used to play together.

On Friday also Preeto’s parents left her with Kalu before leaving for work. Locals said the two children were seen playing near Amreel’s hut shortly before the tragic incident.

“Usman would have saved his cousin had the fire not spread further due to the strong dry winds,” said a distraught Kalu.

Incidents of fires have registered a sharp increase in the rural areas here in the last few days owing largely to the prevailing dry spell after the recent rains.

The district administration provided a monetary compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the grieving parents.