Indian Women Displaced After Arson Attack Damages Belfast Home, Destroying Belongings
Two Indian women living in Belfast have expressed profound insecurity after their home and all their belongings were destroyed in an arson attack. Tejal Samat and Nishath Mohammed were inside their flat above the Sham Supermarket on Donegall Road when a gang set fire to a bin outside on 9 June.
“We were so scared, we didn’t know what to do, we were in absolute shock,” Mohammed recounted. Widespread disorder had erupted across Belfast following a knife attack, forcing residents to flee as properties and vehicles were set ablaze.
Mohammed, a finance associate, has lived in Belfast for six years, having arrived as a student. Her flatmate, retail manager Samat, described the night as “very distressing” and “one of the worst nights I’ve ever had”. Both women, who had previously enjoyed living and working in the city, now fear leaving their accommodation. “I don’t feel like living in Belfast anymore because of all of this,” Samat stated.
Following their evacuation, Samat and Mohammed sought refuge with SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole before spending a night at the Whiterock Leisure Centre. Upon returning, Mohammed described their home as “uninhabitable” with every item affected by smoke damage. “Those are our memories, we have lost all of them,” she lamented.
O’Toole has provided them with ten days of Airbnb accommodation. Despite their ordeal, both women acknowledged the support received from the community, with many providing food and basic necessities. “That shows the real people of Belfast to me,” Mohammed said, adding, “People here are nice, this is just a minority.”
