A mother, her three children, and two guests who had spent an evening celebrating the festival of Diwali died in a “tragic accident”, an inquest has found.
Six people died after a fire at a terraced house on Channel Close, Hounslow on the night of 12 November 2023. Around 70 firefighters were called to extinguish the blaze during its initial stages, with the fire spreading through the ground and first floors of the house as well as part of the roof.
On Friday 29 August 2025 at West London Coroners Court, Senior Coroner Lydia Brown ruled that all six individuals were “very quickly overwhelmed by smoke fumes” after hearing evidence from London Fire Brigade’s Fire Investigation Team that a fire had started outdoors before breaching the exterior of the house and spreading rapidly.
The court heard that at around 22:10 hrs on 12 November 2023, Mr Aroen Kishen was alerted by a guest to smoke beginning to fill the house. He went downstairs and discovered a sofa on fire. Senior Coroner Brown described Mr Kishen’s “heroic” attempts to tackle the fire, sustaining burns before losing consciousness. When he regained consciousness, the fire had spread. Mr Kishen desperately tried to alert those upstairs but the fire was so severe that he had no choice but to rush out.
The Brigade received the first emergency call about the fire at 22:26 hrs and the first fire engine was on the scene within five minutes, arriving to a fully-developed house fire. Firefighters were aware that several people were reported to be inside the property. The inquest heard how within minutes of arrival, the first breathing apparatus crew were committed to attempt to rescue those upstairs. The crew were able to reach the first floor but were forced to retreat due to the severity of the fire. A second crew then attempted but faced similar issues and, as crews retreated downstairs, the internal staircase partially collapsed.
Giving evidence, Consultant Pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl said Mr Kishen’s wife, Seema Ratra, 47, their three children, Riyan, 11, Arohi, 8, and Shanaya, 4, and their two guests, Nitin Chopra, 28 and Sandhaya Chopra, 20, all died as a result of the inhalation of smoke fumes – a mixtures of toxic gases released in the fire. He said it was his belief they had been “overcome” by smoke in “no more than a few minutes”.
Senior Coroner Brown described the incident as a “catastrophic accidental house fire”, which she concluded was a “tragic accident” that occurred on an evening when they had been celebrating the beginning of the festival of Diwali.
The Brigade believes the most probable cause of the fire was a firework igniting combustible recycling waste in a plastic recycling bin. The origin of the firework is unknown.
The fire then breached the uPVC facia panels, igniting a sofa and spreading further, with the stairway acting like a “chimney” for the smoke and heat to travel quickly upstairs.
North West Area Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Paul Askew, 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. In the days and weeks after this fire, the Brigade worked closely with its partners to provide support, including meeting with local residents, attending faith meetings, and joining a guard of honour for the recovery of the family and their guests from the property.
“I’d like to thank in particular the bravery of the initial crews on scene, who were faced with a devastating house fire, as well as our Fire Investigation colleagues who carried out a detailed and thorough investigation into the fire, helping to provide much-needed answers as to why this fire occurred.
“This incident sadly highlights the dangers that we know exist with fireworks. We will be working closely with our partners and communities to ensure Londoners are aware of the risks posed by fireworks, including during religious festivals and other cultural celebrations.
“We would also like to highlight the importance of having working smoke alarms, which give the earliest possible warning when a fire starts. We also urge people to call 999 as soon as possible if you see or suspect a fire. Fires can spread in a matter of seconds.”