Shamas siblings’ funeral held

LUTON: A funeral has been held for the victims of the Clacton sea tragedy, 18-year-old Haider Ali and 14-year-old Malika Shamas, at Luton’s Stopcley Cemetery.

Prayers were offered by Pir Naqeeb Ur Rehman of Eid Gah Shareef, Rawalpindi and Maulana Hafiz Ejaz Ahmed of Luton Central Mosque. There was a large gathering at Luton Central Mosque at their funeral prayers on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, an inquest has been opened into the deaths of the Luton teenagers, according to media reports. It has been reported that Malika, who got into difficulty in the sea, died after she became immersed in the water, an inquest opening was told. She was pulled from the sea at Clacton, Essex, on Thursday and died later at hospital. She had been in the water with her brother Haider and a cousin. Haider died last weekend from pneumonia and brain damage brought on by drowning, the Essex Coroner’s Court heard.