UPDATED A well-known mufti has been killed in a blaze in the holy city of Medina.
Yusuf Bismillah, aged 58, of Ripon Street, Blackburn, is understood to have suffocated when the hotel he was staying in in the Saudi Arabian province caught fire.
Tributes have poured in for the ‘pious’ and ‘humble’ teacher, who was associated with the Lambeth Street and Cumberland Street mosques.
Mufti Bismillah’s wife Fatimah was also taking to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhillation.
Two of their eight children have flown out to Saudi Arabia to be with her.
The blaze killed 12 people and injured at least 130 other pilgrims.
Medina is a major religious tourist destination for Muslims.
The city is the burial site of the Prophet Muhammad and is Islam's second holiest city after Mecca.
More to follow
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