FO expresses grief over death of seven Pakistanis in Canada house fire

Karachi: Pakistan has expressed its sorrow over the tragic death of seven Pakistanis, including children, due to a house fire in Alberta, Canada.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this tragic incident. We also pray for quick and full recovery of the injured," the Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement on Saturday.

The statement continued that Pakistan's Consulate General in Vancouver is in contact with the relevant Canadian authorities to ascertain the facts "and with the bereaved family to offer all possible assistance", Radio Pakistan reported.

Preliminary investigations indicate that it's not criminal in nature, the FO spokesperson said.

On Friday, seven people, including four children died after their house in Chestermere, Alberta caught fire. Autopsies on the deceased ordered by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will be conducted in the coming days.

One adult male and four children were able to escape the fire and were transported to a hospital as a precaution. "Words cannot effectively express the devastation on our community. Our minds cannot fully comprehend the overwhelming loss. And our hearts ache for this family, this neighbourhood, and the community at large," Chestermere Mayor Marshall Chalmers said in a statement.