THE family of a man who died in a major fire in Blackburn have thanked local journalists for helping to highlight concerns over their missing brother.

Waqas Qureshi, 35, died in the blaze at Smart Autos in Lower Hollins Bank, on Saturday, April 24, 2021, however after receiving “conflicting information” about whether a person had been in the building, his body was not found until Wednesday – four days later.

His brother Umair was at an inquest in April and paid tribute to his brother.

He also commended the Lancashire Telegraph and Asian Image for helping to press for an investigation over a tragic weekend for the wider family.

Umair said: “It was very difficult for us as a family to get the message across.

“If it was not for the local news journalists then this may have taken a lot longer. No one was talking us seriously at the time and there was a lot of confusion.

“It was only through the pressure of local news journalists that the authorities started taking things more seriously. There was more pressure for someone in a position of responsibility to act.”

The Lancashire Telegraph at the time had received reports from Pakistan that a man had not been seen since the fire.

Despite being told reports to the contrary in the UK, concerns continued to be relayed to relevant authorities and locally.

The inquest later heard that Waqas had been active on WhatsApp up until close to 6.30pm – the time of the blaze.

Two days later police searched the site and discovered a body at the site.

In a tribute to his brother, Umair said: “He was a very jolly person. He was very close to the family, especially with the children.

“He was the one who would remember birthdays and would always wish everyone a happy birthday and remind other family members to do the same.

“He wasn’t just close to his immediate family but to his extended family also. He is missed greatly by everyone.”

Concluding an inquest that started at Preston Coroners Court on April 6, Coroner Richard Taylor said Waqas’s death was accidental.

The inquest heard on the day of the blaze, Waqas had been seen by a worker at some point between 1pm and 3pm.

Despite this fire crews were told nobody else was in the building.

Crews arrived within four minutes and the fire was already “very well-established”, with it being too dangerous for crews to enter the building until they had gotten the blaze under control.

A number of days later after the fire service received reports a person may be inside, sniffer dogs were sent in, and a body was found.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said their thoughts are with Waqas Qureshi’s family and friends following the inquest at Preston Coroner’s Court.

The fire service said since this incident, they have "reviewed the processes in places and made amendments to ensure this will not happen again".