Bangladesh: Samira Islam, 20, third family member to die

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Family photoImage source, Family photo
Image caption,

Sadiqul Islam and Husnara Begum are the only family members to survive the suspected carbon monoxide poisoning

A woman, 20, has become the third member of a British family to die from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Bangladesh.

Samira Islam, from Cardiff, died at about 08:30 BST on Friday, after being found unconscious on 26 July.

Her father, Rafiqul, 51, and brother, Mahiqul, 16, also died after being found in a flat in the region of Sylhet.

Samira's funeral took place on Saturday afternoon in Bangladesh.

Her uncle Shabul Mian said the death of Samira and her brother and father was "indescribably sad".

"First it was the father and son who died, then today the daughter also died. I pray for them to be granted paradise (in the afterlife)," he said.

Image caption,

Shabul Mian said the death of Samira and her brother and father was "indescribably sad"

Police in the area are continuing to investigate the deaths.

Samira's brother Sadiqul, 24, and her mother Husnara Begum were also in the flat but have since been released from hospital, sources have confirmed.

Image source, Runner Media/BBC
Image caption,

Rafiqul Islam, 51, and Mahiqul Islam, 16, died on en route to hospital after being found unconscious in a flat

Police said Husnara and Sadiqul had told them there was a faulty electricity generator in the property they were staying at, which was to be used in emergencies.

They reportedly told officers it was used the night of the incident due to a power cut.

Supt Farid Uddin said police visited the property with Husnara and Sadiqul, and said that when the generator was running it pumped out smoke.

Image source, Family friend
Image caption,

Samira Islam's funeral took place on Saturday afternoon

He added this could have caused the family to be suffocated and samples had been sent to a laboratory for analysis.

The family, from Cardiff, were on a two month visit to Bangladesh when they were found unconscious by a relative.

The relative said that when there was no answer at the flat on 26 July, they peered through a window and saw the family sprawled across two beds.

Police officers broke into the building on Tuesday morning after the alarm was raised.

Image caption,

Supt Farid Uddin said there was a faulty generator in the property the family were staying at

Sadiqul had previously told officers he was not aware of what had happened, and woke up in hospital after going to bed at about 23:00 local time.

General secretary of the Bangladesh Association Cardiff, Mohammed Haroon, said the three deaths were "very, very sad", adding "we cannot explain it".

"The family were very well known in the community. They were very friendly, everybody knows them here. A very, very nice family," he said.

Mr Haroon said Samira had worked in a shop in Cardiff and the community had been praying for her and the rest of the family.

"For the last week we have prayed for them, and we are arranging another big prayer," he said.

On 28 July hundreds of people lined the streets of Sylhet for the funeral of Rafiqul and Mahiqul.