Howrah Inferno: Singh family’s life reduced to ash in devastating blaze, brings community support

Awakened by a late-night inferno that devoured their Howrah home, the Singh family faced total devastation. How a wave of community support is helping them rise from the ashes.

Aimen Jafri and Hemant Khanna. Picture: Linda Higginson and supplied.

A local community is banding together to support a young man and his parents who lost all of their belongings in a late-night house fire last Tuesday – including his older parents’ passports, glasses and dentures.

30-year-old Simran Singh was awakened to the sound of his smoke alarm in his Clifford Street, Howrah two-storey unit at around 8.35pm on Tuesday night, prompting him to go outside and check for fire.

The Clifford Court home in Howrah was decimated by fire on Tuesday. Picture: supplied

When outside, he found his second floor engulfed in flames, prompting him to quickly pull his two parents – aged in their 70s – outside of the home as the fire took hold of the property.

The next-door units in the complex were also smoke-affected, with the unit residents not returning to their homes four days later.

Tasmania Police confirmed on Saturday that their investigations into the fire are ongoing and “the cause is still undetermined”.

All were left with just the clothes on their back, with neighbours from across the street Hemant and Gagan Khanna, saying that Sikh Mr Singh had to even leave the house without his turban – an important part of his religion.

The Clifford Court home in Howrah was decimated by fire on Tuesday. Picture: supplied

“They had only the clothes on their back,” Gagan Khanna said.

“Simran’s father, had splinters of wood in his hair when they made it out of the house and he had to be treated for smoke inhalation – it was so very sad.”

Mr Khanna, Punjabi Society of Tasmania president, and his wife often invited Mr Singh and his parents over for tea or dinner and were the first to offer a bed to the family when their home of six years was destroyed.

“I feel awful because there is nothing left,” Mr Khanna said.

“The photos, clothes, personal items, even their passports and documents are all gone. None of it was insured, so it’s just gone.”

Both Mr and Mrs Khanna have been taking on donations for Mr Singh’s family, hoping to take the items to their new temporary home.

Former Multicultural Council of Tasmania chair Aimen Jafri said the community was quick to jump onboard and support the family, arranging a car and emergency accommodation as well as a more permanent place to live.

Aimen Jafri and Hemant Khanna outside the Clifford Street home in Howrah. Picture: Linda Higginson

“Simran is a very strong-and-silent type, and I think he thought he had no support,” she said.

“He feels morally uplifted, which is a great thing to come out within a few days of tragedy.

“The Sikh community has been extremely supportive; they’ve been taking food to their house, spending time with the family and being there physically for the elderly parents.

“Especially in the Indian culture, these kinds of traditional practices hold significant value.

“His parents had hoped to get permanent residency so I hope that plan continues.”

Ms Jafri organised a GoFundMe to support Mr Singh and his parents with the cost of replacing all their items and rebuilding a home, from clothing to towels, dishes to toiletries.

Out of a $10,000 goal, $3250 has already been raised.

“This is a reminder that nobody’s immune to any kind of tragedy, pain or death and moments like these are important for us to come together and support each other,” Ms Jafri said.

“Everything is so temporary.”

To support Mr Singh, donations for household goods, clothes or toiletries can be left at Unit 20, 4 Clifford Court, Howrah or alternatively, donations can be made to the Standing with Simran GoFundMe page.

Originally published as Howrah Inferno: Singh family’s life reduced to ash in devastating blaze, brings community support