The owner of a Perth hotel where three people, including two Aberdeen sisters, lost their lives in a fire has died.
Rashid Hussain – who owned the New County Hotel – died in hospital in London last month.
His death from natural causes aged 59 comes eight months after the January 2 blaze which claimed the lives of sisters Donna Janse Van Rensburg, 44, and Sharon McLean, 47, from Aberdeen, and 38-year-old Keith Russell, originally from Edinburgh.
Answers are still being sought for the cause of the fire, which also claimed the life of Donna’s dog Joey.
It’s understood Mr Hussain died in St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington in London on August 12, with a funeral service taking place three days later at Central Mosque and Islamic Centre, also known as Regent’s Park Mosque.
He was buried the same day at a cemetery in the London Borough of Hounslow.
Business linked to hotel liquidated
Earlier this week we revealed a company owned by Mr Hussain and linked to the hotel, Perth Hospitality Limited, is being liquidated over an unpaid energy bill.
The business was taken to court in Leeds by Engie Power Limited in May.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of the death of a man in a hospital in London on Saturday, 12 August, 2023.
“There are no apparent suspicious circumstances.”
A spokesperson for A S Accountants in Wembley, who acted for Mr Hussain, added: “I can confirm that Rashid Hussain passed away in St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington on August 12.”
Multiple business associates of Mr Hussain confirmed they had been made aware of his death.
While the cause of the New County Hotel fire has not been confirmed – with an investigation ongoing – independent consultants, the fire service and Perth and Kinross Council had all raised health and safety concerns in the weeks prior to the tragedy.
Health and safety warnings
In the days following the blaze, we exclusively revealed concerns over health and safety at the hotel.
We obtained a fire safety audit ordered three weeks before the fire which called for 21 improvements to be carried out.
The report by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said existing fire safety arrangements were not considered appropriate.
It also revealed issues with emergency lighting, fire doors and escape routes at the County Place hotel, with Mr Hussain not responding to requests for comment at the time.