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Investigation and inquest
On 11/10/2017 I commenced an investigation into the death of Zainab Adam Bargo Hashim (“Zainab”), aged 36 and Tafaoul Abdullilia Abdulkarim (“Tafaoul”), aged 6. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 11th June 2021.
The conclusion of the inquest was a narrative conclusion detailing that both Zainab and Tafaoul died from the effects of inhalation of smoke fumes, in the communal area of the block of flats, whilst attempting to flee a fire that had started in a separate flat.
The Medical Cause of death after Post Mortem is :
Zainab
1a) Hypoxic/ischaemic brain injury due to inhalation of fire fumes
Tafaoul
1b) Complications of inhalation of fire fumes (including hypoxic/ischaemic brain damage).
Circumstances of the death
Zainab Adam Bargo Hashim passed away at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent on the 2 October 2017 from ‘Hypoxic/ischaemic brain injury due to inhalation of fire fumes’. Tafaoul Abdullilia Abdulkarim passed away two days later on the, on the 4 October 2017 from ‘Complications of inhalation of fire fumes (including hypoxic/ischaemic brain damage)’.
On the 1 October 2017 Zainab left her home address home address of ████████Ringland Close, because a fire had started in ████████ of the same block. To leave the block she had to go into the communal area of the block of flats which had become filled with smoke and fire fumes. The fumes caused Zainab, and her children, Tafaoul, who was 6 years old, and ████████, who was 6 months old, to collapse, and become unconscious. All were rescued by the Fire Service and taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital where Zainab and Tafaoul passed away.
Coroner’s concerns
During the inquest Stoke-on-Trent City Council gave evidence to the effect that, within the properties that they own (they have some 19000 properties), if the properties are blocks of flats, there is a “Stay Put” policy in place. Residents, so long as the fire is not within their property, should stay in their flats, alert the appropriate emergency service, and wait for help.
It became apparent during the course of the inquest that no resident at the Ringland Close block of flats knew of the existence of this policy. Stoke-on-Trent City Council gave evidence to the effect that to communicate this policy to their residents they do so in exactly the same way that they had before the fire at Ringland Close. There are fire notices in the communal areas of the flats and in September 2017, a tenant newsletter was posted through all letterboxes at relevant blocks of flats. This newsletter reiterated the “Stay Put” policy.
During this particular incident no residents had stayed within their property. No residents were aware of the “Stay Put” policy. Evidence was heard that, had Zainab and Tafaoul, stayed within ████████ the two deaths would not have occurred. Stoke-on-Trent City Council gave evidence that, since the fire, they have not changed the way the policy is communicated to residents of their properties.
Therefore, the lack of awareness of a policy in place, and lack of plan to make residents aware, in the event of a fire leads me to conclude that there is a risk of future deaths occurring.
Information checked against the published report and official responses