Muscat: Eight women were killed and one person sustained considerable injuries as a fire engulfed a house in Al Salam area of Barka province, 69km from Muscat, on Tuesday morning. The deceased include a mother, 35, and her five daughters aged between 7 and 15, her sister, 28 and the housemaid, who was an African national, according to a statement issued by the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA).
The father, 45, sustained medium injuries and his health condition is stable.
“At 4.35am, firefighters dealt with a fire that broke out at a house in the Al Salam area of Barka. The firefighters doused the fire in less than one hour. The incident resulted in one injury and eight deaths,” said the statement.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The fire started in the centre of the house and then spread to other parts.
The bodies of all eight women who died of inhaling smoke were found on the first floor.
PACDA urged citizens and residents to exercise caution while dealing with electrical items and other devices to avoid risks related to short circuits.
