In the early hours of October 15, 2012, a devastating fire engulfed a family home in Barn Mead, Harlow, Essex, claiming the lives of Dr. Sabah Usmani and her five young children. The sole survivor, Dr. Abdul Shakoor, escaped through an upstairs window, only to face the unimaginable loss of his entire family. Despite an extensive investigation, the case remains unsolved over a decade later. A new BBC podcast, “Crime Next Door: Who Killed the Shakoors?”, revisits this harrowing case, shedding light on the events and the ongoing quest for justice.
Unsolved Harlow Arson: The Shakoor Family Tragedy Revisited

The Night of the Fire
The Fatal Blaze
At approximately 1:40 AM on October 15, 2012, emergency services were alerted to a fire at a terraced house in Barn Mead, Harlow. The fire rapidly consumed the property, trapping the family inside. Dr. Abdul Shakoor managed to escape by jumping from an upstairs window, but his wife, Dr. Sabah Usmani, and their children—Hira (12), Sohaib (11), Muneeb (9), Rayyan (6), and Maheen (3)—perished in the blaze.