Fire crews still searching for 12-year-old boy after Markham house fire

A 12-year-old boy remains unaccounted for after an explosion and house fire in Markham injured three members of his family, York Regional Police said.

Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang on Sunday morning at a house on Bur Oak Avenue, where a fire broke out. 

Six-year-old Zheer Hamid,14-year-old Ahmed Hamid and their 41-year-old mother, Chia Hamid, were all sent to hospital in critical condition. The six-year-old had previously been misidentified by police as a girl. 

Police say they determined that a family of five lived in the home, with the father, Tahir Hamid, out of the house at the time of the fire. The family's third child, 12-year-old Aran Hamid, remains missing.

"Finding the missing person is the number one first priority at this point," said Jeff Tebby, who is a supervisor in investigations with the Office of the Fire Marshal.

Tebby said it is evident that there was an explosion but did not give details as to what caused it. 

Fire crews remain on scene Monday to excavate the basement, where they believe they may find the missing boy.

When reporters asked Tebby how much hope he had that the 12-year-old could be found alive, he answered: "None."

"Everything we have so far indicates that that person was in the house and did not make it out," said Tebby.

The Mayor of Markham Frank Scarpitti sent his support to the Hamid family tweeting, "our hearts and thoughts are with this family during this heartbreaking and tragic time."

No details have been released yet on whether the incident will be investigated as suspicious.

"At this point we haven't even started to consider whether it's intentional or accidental," Tebby said. "Until we get in, we can't start putting our origin and cause investigation together."

Bur Oak Avenue remains closed between Kennedy Road and William Berczy Boulevard.