Arson attack in UK leaves Sikh man dead and four of his family injured

LONDON: A Sikh family in Wolverhampton has been left devastated and a murder investigation launched after a man deliberately set fire to their house during the night using a petrol canister in a deadly arson attack which set the whole house on fire and left their 26-year-old son, Akashdeep Singh, dead and four family members injured.

The attack was captured on CCTV and was released by West Midlands police on Tuesday. It shows a man in dark clothes smashing the ground floor window of their home in Plascom Road, East Park, at 1 am local time on June 25 and then throwing a petrol canister inside and setting fire to the house, which goes up in huge flames. He then runs away. Emergency services were called to the house at 1.10 am.

Five family members who were in the house at the time were all taken to hospital after being treated at the scene by paramedics and officers. Singh was pronounced dead later that morning in hospital.

Four other family members were left injured. Two weeks on, a 52-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy remain in hospital in critical but stable condition. Two men, one in his 50s and the other in his 20s, have been discharged from hospital.

Singh’s family issued a statement saying: “Our family is deeply shocked and saddened by the news of Akashdeep Singh's passing. He was a kind, helpful, and deeply religious person whose loss brings us immense pain that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. A true hero, our precious son, whose boundless kindness, infectious laughter, and unwavering love filled our lives with immeasurable joy; his memory will forever be cherished, and the depth of his absence is profoundly felt every single day.”

Det Supt Shaun Edwards, from the Major Crime Unit, said: “This is a truly shocking and heartless attack on a family home which has resulted in one young man losing his life and two other family members still very seriously injured in hospital.” He added police believe the offender may have sustained burn injuries and hopes the CCTV footage will help bring the offender to justice.

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