Father says blaze which killed his wife and three children ‘destroyed my life’

A father whose wife and three children were killed in a house blaze in west London believed to have been caused by a firework has told how the night “destroyed my life” as he warned “if you use fireworks, you could lose everything”.

Aroen Kishen had been celebrating Diwali with his wife Seema, their children Riyan, 11, and Arohi, eight, and four-year-old Shanaya, and family friends at their home in Hounslow in November 2023.

Nearly two years on, ahead of Diwali on Monday, Mr Kishen has told of the horror of the evening when his family home became engulfed in flames.

“That night, I lost my wife Seema, our three children Riyan, Arohi, Shanaya, and two family friends, Nitin and Sandhaya (Chopra),” Mr Kishen said.

“I wish they were still alive because what happened that night destroyed my life.”

London Fire Brigade (LFB) believes the most probable cause of the fire was a firework igniting combustible recycling waste in a plastic recycling bin next to the house.

It is not known where the firework came from.

A coroner ruled in the inquest into their deaths earlier this year that the six people died in a “tragic accident”, having been “very quickly overwhelmed by smoke fumes”, LFB said.

Mr Kishen said: “Diwali in 2023 started as a normal day with my family. In the afternoon we prayed at home together, then we went to the gurdwara in Southall and visited with some family nearby. We all had dinner together and put the children to bed ready for school the next day.

“Shortly after that, I saw the fire. I tried to go upstairs to help my family, but I lost consciousness. I don’t know what happened after that. When I woke up, the whole house was on fire.”

The inquest heard that Mr Kishen was “heroic”, LFB said, when he attempted to tackle the fire and sustained burns before he lost consciousness.

When he regained consciousness, the fire had spread.

Firefighters arrived at around 10.30pm on November 12 2023 and crews were able to reach the first floor but were forced to retreat because of the severity of the fire.

Another team then tried to tackle the blaze on the first floor but faced similar issues and as they went downstairs the internal staircase partly collapsed.

Around 70 firefighters dealt with the blaze which spread from the ground floor to the roof.

Mr Kishen has urged people think about those around them before they use fireworks, warning that they “aren’t a game”.

The bereaved father said: “I want the public to think about those around them before using fireworks.

“Fireworks aren’t a game and it’s not a movie, it’s real life.

“Listen to my story and celebrate with your family, at a party or at your place of worship.

“If you use fireworks, you could lose everything.”

The fire happened during what was LFB’s busiest Diwali since 2010.

Over the 24-hour period, control officers took 710 emergency calls and handled 17 firework-related calls and incidents, LFB said.

Paul Askew, the brigade’s deputy assistant commissioner, said: “On behalf of London Fire Brigade, I’d like to express my condolences to Mr Kishen and all of those affected by this terrible tragedy.

“On what was meant to be a night of celebration to mark the beginning of Diwali, a tragic accident occurred.

“I’d like to thank in particular the bravery of the initial crews on scene, who were faced with a devastating house fire.

“This incident sadly highlights the dangers that we know exist with fireworks.

“We’re urging Londoners to listen to Mr Kishen’s story and follow our advice by attending a safer, organised fireworks display this year.”

He stressed that people who intend to host their own display should buy fireworks from a reputable seller with a CE safety mark, and secure them properly in the ground, far from buildings, trees and animals.

“As we approach Diwali, Halloween and Bonfire Night, we wish everyone a safe fireworks season,” he added.