Lahan, September 11:

The family members of the victims of the Doha fire have asked the government to probe the incident in which seven Nepali youths were burnt to death in their flat in Doha Najma area yesterday. Sakira Khatun, 45, a resident of Narha VDC-2 of Siraha, whose two sons were killed in the incident, has lost her consciousness since she heard the news about her sons’ death. Among her four sons working in Doha, Farooq Shekh and Tauheed Shekh were burnt to death along with five other Nepalis. Sceptical Sakira has urged the government to carry out an investigation into the incident. At a time when victims’ nephew Firoj was preparing to return to Doha after his six-month-stay at home, the family received a sad call from their uncle Naim Sekh at about 9: 30 am on Friday.

The whole Balawa VDC is mourning the death of the youths. “Sanjaya had gone to Doha just 10 months ago,” said Bineshwor Yadav, uncle of 22-year-old Sanjaya, who was killed in the fire. Sanjaya’s mother Kalmukh Devi, 40, of Panibari in Chandrodaya VDC-8 has been kept alive by administering saline water. His father Rajeshwor Yadav lamented: “We are yet to pay off the loan of Rs 80, 000 we had taken to pay for his flight to Doha.” The pain of the family Mohmod Azzibul, 22, of Naraha Balakwa-2, who lost his life in the incident, is no less than that of others. “We came to know about the tragedy on Friday morning,” said 55-year-old Mohmod Habib Shekh, the father of Azzibul, who had gone to Doha 14 months ago by paying Rs 80, 000 to a manpower company. The cause of the fire is yet to be known.

Pandey meets blaze victims

KATHMANDU: The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ramesh Nath Pandey, on Saturday visited Nepali fire-victims undergoing treatment at Rumaila hospital in Doha. The minister directed the Nepali ambassador, Shyama-nanda Suman, to immediately take up with Qatari authorities relief and welfare measures, including repatriation of the dead bodies, compensation and other benefits for the next of kin of the deceased. — HNS