ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday confirmed that 13 Pakistani nationals including seven children, four women and two men living in Jordan have died due to a fire that broke out in their tent. Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said that three other Pakistanis were also injured in the fire incident and are reported to be in stable condition. He said that all the victims were residing near Karameh city which is 40 kilometers west of Amman near the Dead Sea. Faisal said that the victims belonged to Joya family from Dadu district in Sindh and added that the head of the family, Ali Sher Joya, has survived in the incident. The family reportedly migrated from Pakistan to Jordan in 1970s and was associated with the agriculture. “The fire reportedly broke out around 2 AM at night on 2 December 2019. The cause of the fire has been reported as short circuit,” he noted.
The Pakistan Embassy in Amman is in contact with the family and relatives of the deceased residing in Jordan, the spokesperson said and added that the Ambassador and other senior officials are with the family to provide any urgent assistance, he added. The Jordanian authorities are also extending full cooperation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the embassy to extend assistance to the bereaved family, the statement said. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to provide further details of the incident. He also offered his condolences over the loss of lives.