A woman who died six weeks after a fire at a Dundee shop has been remembered as a “devoted” mum and gran.
Sabinah Islam, 53, was working at Best-one on Fintry Road, near the Dolphin Bar, on October 18 when the premises went up in flames.
Sabinah died on Tuesday having been in hospital since the blaze.
Scores of devastated locals have since paid tribute to Sabinah, who had worked at the shop for several years.
‘Sabinah Islam was such a lovely lady’
Racsana Rashid, a friend of nearly 20 years who works in the nearby Post Office, held Sabinah’s hand to comfort her at the scene of the fire.
She told The Courier: “It’s tragic and so sad. Sabinah was such a lovely, lovely lady.
“She was a devoted mum to her children and gran to her little granddaughter.
“On the day of the fire, I rushed outside to see what all the commotion was about.
“I saw Sabinah on the ground and I immediately rushed across to try to comfort her.
“I held her hand and spoke to her while so many people were trying to help her.
“I think she was happy that I was there. I hope I managed to comfort her a little.
“I have known Sabinah for almost 20 years and this is just awful news.”
Response to Fintry shop fire ‘has helped to bring the community together’
Lynn Sharpe, who owns a barbers two doors down from the Best-one store, said: “This is so sad. I am devastated.
“It’s so upsetting for her family and friends.
“I have been here for around 18 years and have known Sabinah for all that time.
“That was a terrible day and I remember everything that happened.”
Lynn says following the fire, many nearby businesses were forced to shut for several weeks, but locals rallied to help each other.
She said: “In a way, Sabinah’s terrible accident has helped to bring the community together.
“Some of us are even having a Christmas night out together for the first time ever because we worked together to recover from this tragedy.”
Another local shopkeeper described it as a “sad day for Fintry”, adding: “So many local people are upset and speaking about Sabinah today.”
In the days after the fire, Sabinah’s son, Zoheb, thanked locals for their support and described the Fintry community as the “best in the world”.
Multi-agency investigation into Fintry shop fire
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 11.30am on Wednesday October 18, emergency services responded to a report of a fire at a shop on Fintry Road in Dundee.
“A 53-year-old woman was taken to hospital for treatment. She died in hospital on Tuesday.
“A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
“A multi-agency investigation to establish the full circumstances is ongoing.”
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